


Bouncing Back

by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Humor, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-04-01
Updated: 2003-04-01
Packaged: 2019-05-30 21:06:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 21,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15104891
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of theWest Wing Fanfiction Central, a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in theannouncement post.





	1. Bouncing Back

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

**Bouncing Back**

**by:** Rhonda and Evelyn

**Character(s):** The Women of the West Wing  
**Pairing(s):** Josh/Donna, CJ/Danny, Toby/Andi, Zoey/Charlie, Will/Ainsley  
**Category(s):** Humor, Romance, Post Ep  
**Rating:** TEEN  
**Disclaimer:** They're not ours and never will be.  
**Summary:** Post-episode story for Inauguration: Over There  
**Spoiler:** Red Haven's On Fire  
**Feedback:** Greatly Appreciated  
**Authors Note:** This is a sequel to "Bouncing Inaugural Balls". Thanks so much for all the wonderful feedback. We had such a good time with these characters that we couldn't resist bringing them back for a little more fun. Enjoy! 

"What am I - the official West Wing timekeeper? Why is it no one but me owns a working watch around here. Come on, we're gonna be late."

"I own several, I just don't like wearing them. Besides I was running early until I had to clean up again after you know who. Katie had a question on the First Lady's Chief of Staff's stupid comments on the prescription drug care bill and then Mark wanted to know if that made the third or fourth apology I'd issued this week for . . . I'm not riding with her. Got it?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I think Josh had a talk with Ron Butterfield about a shoot to kill order . . ."

"Damn, I think one of the wheels on this suitcase is coming off."

"What the hell are you taking with you? We're only going for the weekend."

"I have to be prepared."

"Are you planning to be marooned and need all your clothes with you? We're traveling in a stretch limo not the U.S.S. Minnow."

"If you'd gotten hit by an avocado."

"There are no Republicans on this trip."

"Yes, there are and where the hell is she?"

"Let's check the Mess. That's always a safe bet."

"We need to hurry. I think these stairs get steeper every day."

"Why don't you leave your suitcase here and we can pick it up . . ."

"No way I'm risking losing my new Donna Karen."

"Why would you need an evening dress in the woods?"

"There she is. Put down that muffin and step away from the soft ice cream machine."

"But I'm hungry."

"Get your skinny butt and that tapeworm of yours out to the limos. We're gonna be late."

"Fine, I'll just bring these chips with me. And this apple. And maybe a small order of fries. Are you sure you can get that trunk up the stairs?"

"I got it down here, I can get it back up. Oh, crap."

"Did you hurt your back?"

"No. My nail. Damn. A fifty-dollar manicure ruined. I didn't want to go on this trip anyway. The last time there was a snake right outside my cabin door."

"Wow. You spent that much on . . ."

"It's too cold for the snakes to be out now. Now once the temperatures get up in the sixties, look out. I know in North Carolina, give us a sunny day after a cold winter and you can be hip-deep in snakes before you can turn around."

"Shut up about the snakes. Okay, East Entrance right?"

"Yeah."

"Where's......?"

"She should be right here. I saw her coming this way when I left the Press Room."

"Should I check the bathrooms?"

"I don't know how she can need to . . ."

"I'm here, I'm here. I keep forgetting that I need to allow more time for waddling . . . and for peeing."

"Can someone get the door? I've got my hands full. That damn wheel *is* coming off. First the wheel, now my nail. I'm falling apart here."

"Uh?"

"What in the . . ."

"Where's the motorcade? The babies and I need to sit down."

"Maybe I can glue the tip back on . . .What do you mean? Damn it, where is it? It's supposed to be right . . . is this some kind of joke? Is this your ex-husband's idea of a . . . I'm gonna kill him."

"Uh, uh girls. I saw him first. I'm gonna kill him and then I'm gonna make his life not worth living. What are we gonna do now?"

"Do you mean to tell me, ladies, that the gentlemen left without us?"

"No shit, Sherlock. Do you see any cars waiting to take us to Camp David with the rest of the senior staff?"

"No, I don't, but I find it hard to believe that true gentlemen would abandon ladies . . ."

"Yeah, but we're talking about Josh and Toby."

"Perhaps it was just an unfortunate oversight. After all, they didn't leave us in the middle of the Arctic Circle. We're . . ."

"Excuse me. Don't even mention that place."

"Sorry. I didn't mean to bring up unpleasant memories of your might-have-been beau."

"He wasn't . . ."

"Forget that I'm a Congresswoman, wouldn't they at least miss you? Who's dealing with the press?" 

"There is no press. The President wants this to be a *fun* weekend. I can think of a lot of other things I'd rather do for fun."

"I don't understand. How could they just drive off without noticing that we weren't in the car?"

"That seems to happen to me a lot. At least there are no time zone changes."

"I'm hungry. Those chips didn't do it for me."

"You're always hungry. That's one of the reasons we were late. We had to go all the way down to the Mess to find you."

"But it's Friday - rice pudding day. I needed some sustenance for the long trip. Plus, with my low blood sugar, I have to . . ."

"For crying out loud, it's a 90-minute drive."

"Well we probably would have still made it if someone didn't have to stop at every bathroom between Toby's office and the lobby."

"When you have a watermelon pressing on your bladder, or in this case, two watermelons, then we'll have a conversation about bladder control but until then......"

"Can we focus please? "

"Who are you calling?"

"A man and his pumpkin."


	2. Bouncing Back 2

**Bouncing Back**

**by:** Rhonda and Evelyn

**Character(s):** The Women of the West Wing  
**Pairing(s):** Josh/Donna, CJ/Danny, Toby/Andi, Zoey/Charlie, Will/Ainsley  
**Category(s):** Humor, Romance, Post Ep  
**Rating:** TEEN  
**Disclaimer:** They're not ours and never will be.  
**Summary:** Post-episode story for Inauguration: Over There  
**Spoiler:** Red Haven's On Fire  
**Feedback:** Greatly Appreciated  
**Authors Note:** This is a sequel to "Bouncing Inaugural Balls". Thanks so much for all the wonderful feedback. We had such a good time with these characters that we couldn't resist bringing them back for a little more fun. Enjoy! 

* * *

"Get in."

"I can't."

"Sure you can, open the damn door and..."

"There's a... a hairy horse in the front seat."

"A horse, of course. What else can go wrong?"

"Actually I might need to use the ladies room before..."

"Hey, Whiskey is a purebred Irish wolfhound and more royal than that Frog Prince what's her name is dating."

"Get in, Miss North Carolina, or I'm gonna kick your grits."

"It's not kick - it's kiss and I can't. I'm allergic to dogs. You sit in the front seat."

"Are you crazy? There's four inches of leg room and I'm six feet tall, you do the math."

"Actually I'm very good with math. I don't know why it's always assumed that girls can't do math. In my experience..."

"Hey, it's getting later as we speak. Josh is gonna have a stroke if I don't show up with those budget numbers he wanted."

"This is not supposed to be a working weekend. When I kill the father of my children for abandoning me, I'll take care of your boss too, if you want."

"Nah, he promised me ski lessons if I helped him with this report."

"Ainsley, will you please get in the car?"

"How about one of the other ladies sitting in the front if you require more leg room. Maybe Donna? Or Congresswoman Wyatt?"

"You can call me Andi and I really should go back in for..."

"Donna is just two inches shorter than me, and Andi is... she's...well, let's just charitably say that she's bigger than a house and won't fit."

"That's your idea of charity?"

"Sorry, do you prefer being called a walking minivan? A grounded Goodyear blimp with a constant fuel leak?"

"I'm ignoring you since you have to put up with my ex-husband 80 hours a week."

"80! More like..."

"It would be easier to figure out how many hours we spend away from here. Like I said, I'm good with math."

"Ainsley, get in."

"But I can't sit in the front seat. I'll get hives, and start to scratch, and maybe a little nauseous - in fact, I don't think that taco salad I had as a mid-morning snack is sitting so good right now. The sour cream must have turned."

"OK, that's it. Cinderella, Momma, and Stretch get in the backseat. Pipsqueak, hand over those fries to Whiskey, and park your butt on the long legs of the mouthy one. You want to make Camp David before the end of the week, we gotta move it. Traffic on the Beltway is a killer and Whiskey likes to watch Judge Wapner's Animal Court so we have to be home by 9."

***

"What the hell is that noise?"

"It's my cell phone."

"Your cell phone? It sounds like..."

"It plays 'Delta Dawn'. My momma used to sing that to me every night."

"Well turn it off, it's upsetting the hound."

"Hey, my dog's not upset. She's singing along, but for crying out loud could somebody grab that other phone."

"I'm trying. I... just have to, oh excuse me Congresswoman Wyatt, but could you just lift up your belly full of beautiful babies so I can slip my hand down to my bag on the floor?"

"This belly's going nowhere... and that's my phone, but it's Toby and I'm not talking to him. CJ, what the hell is vibrating against my leg?"

"It's my cell phone and I can't reach it in my pocket because I've got Ainsley diving off my knees - get off my foot, will ya? How do you know it's Toby...and Mr. Cab Driver? Could you please shut that dog up?"

"Whiskey loves country music. He especially likes Faith Hill. You should him hear sing 'This Kiss'." 

"CJ is a very good singer. You should hear her rendition of 'The Jackel'."

"Andi - the phone?"

"I don't know that song. Can she hum a few bars? Maybe Whiskey will sing along."

"I'm not answering it. It's Toby."

"I repeat - How do you know? And I'm not singing any duet with a dog."

"Because I can tell his dumb ring and I'm not talking to an idiot who would leave his pregnant ex-wife behind - even if maybe I told him to stop interfering in my life and that I would make my own travel plans. He said I should stay home and read my Lamaze books anyway. I told him to go to hell."

"Andi, at least turn it off. It's driving the dog nuts." 

"Nuts. Peanuts would be good. I probably have some in my bag."

"Toby's done a good job of driving me nuts ever since he found out about the babies. I told him to go to hell..."

"You said that already."

"Anyway, I told him to go to hell and then Toby said spending a weekend in a cabin with Josh was pretty close to it. I said I wouldn't want to come between him and Josh having a bonding experience. He said damn. I told him if he was going to cuss in front of the babies he could just leave."

"And?"

"When you cuss aren't you..."

"And Toby left. Walked right out of his office and left me sitting there on his couch, just like a potato about to sprout."

"But you told him..."

"Hell, he's supposed to know that my hormones are in overdrive and I didn't mean it."

"Are the babies asleep or something? Cause you just keep on saying... Hey, I've almost got my phone...almost... almost... nope that's my Nestle's Crunch Bar - but I think it's gone to voice mail, now whose phone is still ringing?"

"Mine. Hello - Josh, it serves you right. You left without us. Excuse me, buster, but I'm going to mention just one word and leave it at that. Ensorcelled. Uh huh, you got us into this mess. No, I don't want to hear your excuses about temporary insanity. Well, that's very nice of you to mention. Yes, I'm wearing - well, if you're lucky, maybe later you'll find out."

"Ask him if Toby is calling my cell phone because it's still vibrating and I still can't reach it. If it keeps up Andi is either going to be very happy or go into labor early. Ainsley, if you don't sit up straight, I'm taking all your candy bars and giving them to Whiskey."

"She can't eat chocolate. Dogs are allergic to it, but she'd love that cinnamon Danish I noticed peeking out of that tote bag. Maybe you could tear it in half and give Whiskey some, and the rest to me cause I haven't had lunch yet."

"Josh, I know you are being assaulted by the incessant high-pitched drone of her voice, but I really don't think it affects male fertility. No, I don't think she ever shuts up. Yes, I'd probably testify on your behalf if you shoved her out the car door. But you'd have to explain it to the First Lady. Andi, Toby wants to talk to you."

"Tell him to take his sorry-assed excuses and shove them up..."

"Ass is definitely a curse word. If you're worried about your babies hearing ..."

"Ainsley, shut up a minute. And excuse me CJ, but he wanted to talk to me. Donna, tell Toby to take his sorry-assed excuses and shove them up..."

"Josh says that Toby said he's not calling to apologize."

"Why the hell not?"

"Josh says... Uh, Hi, Toby. What's that sound? Did you hurt Josh? Okay. Just don't leave marks. Andi, Toby says he will apologize at a future time and in a manner to be determined by you, but what he really needs is... Hello? Hello? Josh? Where did Toby... Absolutely not, Josh. You tell him, no way in hell - there's no room what with Whiskey and all - no we're not drinking, it's Mac's dog - ok, ok, tell him to be waiting at the curb. We're slowing down to 40 mph and he's got to hop in. He'll have to hold Whiskey on his lap. Stop whining. Maybe you'll get lucky and she'll wander onto the firing range at Camp David. Hey, Mac, you gotta turn this cab around. We've got to go back and pick up Will Bailey. They forgot him too."

"Ooooh, do you think he has any Rice Krispies treats with him? I wouldn't mind sitting on his lap."


	3. Bouncing Back 3

**Bouncing Back**

**by:** Rhonda and Evelyn

**Character(s):** The Women of the West Wing  
**Pairing(s):** Josh/Donna, CJ/Danny, Toby/Andi, Zoey/Charlie, Will/Ainsley  
**Category(s):** Humor, Romance, Post Ep  
**Rating:** TEEN  
**Disclaimer:** They're not ours and never will be.  
**Summary:** Post-episode story for Inauguration: Over There  
**Spoiler:** Red Haven's On Fire  
**Feedback:** Greatly Appreciated  
**Authors Note:** This is a sequel to "Bouncing Inaugural Balls". Thanks so much for all the wonderful feedback. We had such a good time with these characters that we couldn't resist bringing them back for a little more fun. Enjoy! 

* * *

"Hello, please come in. You must be Mackenzie Sullivan. I'm Abigail Bartlett." Abbey shook hands with the tall, retired policeman turned cabby. "I'm happy you could join us for dinner."

"Thank you, Ma'am. But the choice wasn't exactly mine." He glared over his shoulder at Ron Butterfield who was standing against the wall in the lodge-style dining room. "This place has been closed up tighter than a bottle of rum in a teetotaler's parlor."

"Well, I trust we can make your stay memorable." Abbey smiled at the man who was obviously uncomfortable in the surroundings. "My husband held dinner for everyone. I hope you like chili?"

"Oh no." CJ joined them having heard the last few words of Abbey and Mac's conversation. "You didn't let him fix it did you?"

"I'm really sorry, CJ. Amy had me tied up in the conference room discussing battle plans and Jed was at loose ends in the kitchen."

"Just another reason why..."

"I know what you're gonna say," Abbey interrupted.

Mac looked startled. "Battle Plans? I didn't know the First Lady..."

"Oh, no. Political strategy not actual warfare. Although with Amy Gardner, sometimes it's hard to tell the difference." 

Hooking her arm in his, Abbey added, "Come with me and I'll introduce you to my husband's executive assistant. She's going to make sure you have what you need during your stay with us."

* * *

"We're late for dinner. The First Lady said casual clothes tonight, didn't she?"

Josh was lying sprawled in the middle of the bed. They were in one of the two bedrooms of the cabin she was sharing with Ainsley. He was flat on his back with a can of cold beer held to his forehead. "Donna, you've got to help me out. I can't stand this situation any longer. Amy has made it her mission in life to drive me crazy - and Toby's gonna kill me if we don't get rid of her cause she's caused one public relations nightmare after another. And in the limo on the way here she kept waving around those scissors she always carries and I gotta tell you - they got dangerously close to some pretty personal equipment of mine," he whined. "Ron finally confiscated them in the interests of National Security and the ten dollars I gave him."

Donna looked sharply at the prone body on her bed, checking that said equipment was still intact.

She had plans for using all of it. Josh's jeans seemed to fit normally, but it would be just like Amy to do a little snipping on equipment she'd lost access to. Frowning, Donna hurriedly continued unpacking her bag, trying to hang up her clothes before the wrinkles set in. She glanced at her watch and grabbed a pair of jeans and a sweater. Heading for the bathroom, she called over her shoulder, "It's your own fault. You played hardball with the First Lady."

"Who knew she'd hire Amy to crush mine? I didn't think the First Lady was that mad at me."

Donna shut the door and started the shower. 

He heard her call out, "Well she is. But I don't think she's any happier than you are now that she's got her - and CJ's about ready to throttle her scrawny neck. That crack Amy made about redheads was just even more stupid than her budget switcheroo. You don't mess with CJ."

"Tell me about it," Josh muttered. He sat up and popped the top on the now lukewarm beer. It promptly spewed all over him and Donna's bed. "Shit." He looked upward. "Not funny."

Donna emerged from the bathroom, brushing her hair. She slipped on a pair of sneakers, and bent over to tie the laces. Josh caught a glimpse of alabaster skin as her red sweater hitched up her back. Staring at the form-fitting jeans hugging her body, all thoughts of misery-loving ex-girlfriends left his brain.

"I'm not hungry, are you?" 

* * *

"Please everyone eat up. There's plenty more where that come from." Jed Bartlet beamed. He loved parties, especially informal ones where he got to play host.

His guests filled the dining room as they milled around the buffet table loaded with two kinds of chili, baked potatoes, salad, hot rolls, and several kinds of pie.

"That one's too hot for you to handle."

A surprised CJ whirled around, an empty chili bowl in one hand and a ladle in the other. "What are you doing here? The President said no press this weekend."

"None except for me. I'm special."

"A special pain in the..."

"Now, now, Claudia Jean," the President interrupted them, walking up and taking the ladle from her. "You're holding up the line. Hold out your bowl. You, too, Danny. Both of you deserve some of my special recipe - I got the peppers from Mexico. President Fox brought them to me during his last State visit. It's almost impossible to get them otherwise." 

CJ stared in horror at the bowlful of the spicy mixture the President returned to her and then turned her glare on the man who was responsible for her upcoming heartburn.

"Hey, I like the President's chili." Danny grinned as the President handed him a filled bowl. 

As they walked towards the long table and their assigned seats, both had to blink back the tears as the pungent steam from the pepper-laden chili rose.

"I heard there was a dog. Where is he?" Danny began scanning the room.

CJ coughed. "It's a she. And I'm hoping to sit next to Ainsley. I don't think the dog would eat this." 

* * *

"I made arrangements for some personal items and some clothes to be put in your room.  You'll be sharing a two-bedroom cabin with Will Bailey, the President's Deputy Communications Director." 

"You mean Goat Boy. That will make my dog happy. She's taken quite a shine to him." 

The President's assistant gave him a withering glance. "And of course we've obtained the dog food you requested. What's the dog's name again?"

"Whiskey, the mother's milk of an Irishman. She's an Irish-Wolfhound. Do you have dogs, Ms. Fiderer?"

"No, and it's Debbie."

"That's a shame, Debbie. Dogs are great companions."

"Well, I've had two husbands and one alpaca. I much preferred living with the alpaca."

"What the hell's an alpaca? A camel?"

"Think small llama."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why would you want a llama? They're dirty and they spit."

"Somewhat like my ex-husbands. But what I had was an alpaca, not a llama."

"Whatever. Why would you want one?"

"Money. They're very profitable."

"If they're so profitable, what are you doing wasting your time coordinating the delivery of shaving cream and dog food for the people the President takes hostage every time some idiot jumps a fence?"

Debbie frowned. "You're a very rude man, no wonder your only companion is a dog."

"Don't knock dogs. They don't mind a man having a few beers after work and Whiskey never complains about where I leave my socks. And she sings to me."

Debbie smiled at the cabby. "Are you sure she's singing?"

* * *

"Ainsley, will you tell Mr. Zeigler that I'm still not talking to him?" 

Ainsley swallowed another mouthful of chili and turned to Toby who was seated to her right.

"Congresswoman Wyatt says that she's still not talking to you."

"Well, you tell the Congresswoman that she better leave off the chili. I'm not available tonight to drive to a drugstore for antacids."

Ainsley managed another quick bite before turning to her left. "He says that. . ."

"I heard him. You can tell him that I wouldn't think of bothering his beauty sleep, just because I'm carrying around 30 pounds of his babies, I wouldn't want him inconvenienced in the slightest." 

Ainsley didn't even get the spoon to her mouth. "The Congresswoman says that ..."

"Tell her that the babies only account for about 10 pounds of the extra weight she's carrying around."

Ainsley opened and closed her mouth a few times in shock. Pushing back her chair, she hurriedly stood. "I'm going back to the buffet table for more bread."

Ainsley made her escape just in time to miss the generous slice of cherry pie that landed on the front of Toby's white shirt.

"I know how much you like pie, dear." Andi smiled at him. "And of course I should watch my calories."


	4. Bouncing Back 4

**Bouncing Back**

**by:** Rhonda and Evelyn

**Character(s):** The Women of the West Wing  
**Pairing(s):** Josh/Donna, CJ/Danny, Toby/Andi, Zoey/Charlie, Will/Ainsley  
**Category(s):** Humor, Romance, Post Ep  
**Rating:** TEEN  
**Disclaimer:** They're not ours and never will be.  
**Summary:** Post-episode story for Inauguration: Over There  
**Spoiler:** Red Haven's On Fire  
**Feedback:** Greatly Appreciated  
**Authors Note:** This is a sequel to "Bouncing Inaugural Balls". Thanks so much for all the wonderful feedback. We had such a good time with these characters that we couldn't resist bringing them back for a little more fun. Enjoy! 

* * *

"Do you think they'll notice?"

"Notice what? That you're incredibly beautiful? I think they already know that," he murmured, running his hand down the sleeve of the red, v-necked sweater, before leaning down to capture the lips of the blonde haired woman lying on the bed with him.

"No," she swatted his arm. "That we're missing, uh, missed dinner."

"I don't care," he whispered in her ear, before nipping lightly at her neck. 

"What's our excuse?" she asked, pulling him closer to her, running her hands through his brown curls, and kissing each cheek, his nose, and then his lips.

"That I needed time to make out with the most amazing woman in the world," Josh answered, eyes twinkling, as he leaned back to look into Donna's crystal blue eyes.

"Think they'll save some chili for us?"

"You want some?" he asked incredulously. Maybe he didn't know her as well as he thought.

"No, but I wouldn't want to hurt the President's feelings," she offered softly.

"I don't want to hurt his feelings either, but the alternative is death by charred intestines," Josh countered, rolling on top of her and cradling her face in his hands.

She gripped the cutest butt in politics and gave a gentle squeeze. "I know. I'll tell them that we were trying to get on top of the funding numbers for the Medicare bill... ," she used one hand to pull out the Medicare file they were lying on and toss it to the floor, "... and then I'll sneak into the kitchens and ask Mario for some dinner for us."

"Who's Mario," Josh asked suspiciously, running a hand up the outside of her thigh and wondering how hard it was going to be to get her out of the incredibly tight jeans she'd put on a half-hour earlier.

"Master Chief Petty Officer Mario Martinez, the head cook of the kitchens at Camp David. Did you like the bread pudding with hard sauce he served the last time we were here?"

"It was phenomenal, why?"

"It's my grandmother's recipe."

"I like her granddaughter," he whispered turning his attention back to the ruby lips in front of him.

"Speaking of things that are hard..." she moaned, as she moved underneath him.

"Like I said, I really, really like her granddaughter."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CJ heard the knock on her bedroom door. "Come on in, Andi. Did you find any fingernail polish remover? I'm sure I'll need some before I get finished." Continuing to work on gluing down her broken fingernail with the Super Glue that Andi had found in a desk drawer, CJ didn't look up from her seat on the bed.

The door creaked open and Danny stuck his head in. "Uh, It's not Andi. Can I still come in?" 

"Shit." His voice startled her and she accidentally squeezed too hard on the tube, smearing a large blob of the glue on her hand. "Get out."

Ignoring her command, Danny gingerly stepped into the room holding out a bottle of acetone. "I come bearing gifts. Andi called Donna, who gave this to Josh to bring to you. Good friend that I am, I volunteered to save Josh a trip."

"Then give it to me. And don't look anywhere but my face and hands."

Danny grinned. "Hey, I'm a gentleman. I hardly noticed that little t-shirt and shorts that you're barely wearing."

"Shut up. Damn." She had managed to stick her hands together. "This stuff is almost as much of a pain as you are."

"I resent that but I'll help anyway. I'm just that kind of a guy." He glanced down at her hands and the attached tube of glue stuck between them. " Should I just pour it over... "

"No! We need to be in the bathroom, over the sink. Be careful what you get that on, it'll take the color out of fabric."

He followed her into the adjoining bath, smiling as he got a good look at her long bare legs and the tiny camisole that bared her shoulders and about an inch of skin above her waist.

"By the way, where's my very pregnant cabin mate?" She absentmindedly grabbed at a camisole strap as it slid downward.

"She let me in on her way out. Said something about finding a man with Rolaids." Danny started to warn her about the glue on her hands and not touching her top but he was too late. 

CJ turned to face him, tugging on the material now attached to her hands.

"So do you want me to dab it or..." He blushed as she caught him staring at her breasts, her lack of bra evident. 

"Just pour a little bit right... " She frowned and continued trying to pull her hands apart or away from the cotton top. All she managed to do was squeeze more glue out of the tube which was glued to her right palm. "Damn. Damn. Damn."

"You got your hands stuck to your t-shirt there, CJ."

"I figured that out, Danny. Why don't you call Donna for me? She can... "

"No. I can do this." He uncapped the bottle, then hesitated. "Wait. I don't want this stuff on my new Polo shirt and pants. I'm gonna take them off before we start anything."

"Danny, we're not starting anything. Hey, I don't think..." She paused as he left the bathroom, then grimaced as she heard a loud thump. "Danny?"

"Just a second. I should have pulled my shoes off first."

CJ smiled and shook her head. "I don't think you being undressed is a very good..." Her voice trailed off as he returned wearing only his blue boxer shorts, his bare chest and legs lightly sprinkled with red hair.

"Eyes on my face and hands," he joked, blushing a little at her scrutiny, barely suppressing the urge to suck in his stomach. "Do you want to hold your hands and...shirt out - uh down - over the sink?"

"No." This time she blushed. She wasn't pulling the front of her camisole down so he could see absolutely everything.

"So, how are we going to do this? Want me to round up Amy's scissors and cut your shirt off?"

Danny's eyes lit up at the thought.

"Forget it, Fishboy. Pour just a little over my hands, so I can get them separated from the cotton. Then maybe, get the tube unstuck from my fingers, and then I can hold my hands over the sink."

"Okay-dokey."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Hello." Will opened the cabin door, finding Ainsley outside with a loaded tray of food.

"You didn't come to dinner so I thought you might want something to eat now. Unless of course you skipped dinner on purpose in which case I can just return . . ." 

"No. Yes. No. I mean yes, I'd like some food. I just decided to get started on that speech Toby wanted next week and I lost track of time." Will beamed at her.

"Could I come in?" Ainsley smiled.

"I'm sorry. Please," he responded, reaching out and taking the heavy tray from her and allowing her to enter the cabin he was sharing with Danny, Mac, and Whiskey.

"This is lovely," she declared and promptly sneezed. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"This is not good."

"I . . well no. It's not really. Although, from time to time I've had fantasies of..."

"Danny, shut up. Let me think. You spilled all the nail polish remover down the sink."

"You jumped and knocked my hand."

"It was cold and you poured it right down my top."

"The good news is that your hands aren't stuck to your shirt or to each other anymore."

"Dan-ny!"

"Okay. But, you know, I don't understand how you got your hand stuck there. I have my boxers on but you still managed during the fall to..."

"Shut up."

"I'm just saying..."

"I swear to God, if you don't..."

"Okay. I'm shutting up. I'm just gonna shut up and lie here on the floor with your hand stuck to my butt.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Mon dieu. Je suis morte."

"You are not dead."

"Non, non. Je veux mourir."

"What's he saying?"

"He says he wants to die."

"Ok, by me."

"You're not going to die."

"La nourriture est poison."

"It's not poison, it's my Dad's chili."

"Wimp. Can't handle a few hot peppers, frog boy?"

"Appelez une ambulance"

"We're not calling any ambulance, Jean-Paul. You need to go lie down and you'll feel better in how long would you say, Charlie?"

"Shouldn't take more than a week."

"Ma bouche brûle"

"What's he moaning about now?"

"He says his mouth is burning."

"Here. Drink this."

"That's so sweet of you, Charlie."

"Qu'est-ce que c'est?"

"Now what is he complaining about?"

"He just wants to know what it is."

"Just some fine wine to wash down the chili. Chateau Ripple, 2003."

"Mr. Butterfield, it's okay. Let him go. I don't think Jean-Paul meant to throw up all over my Dad."

"Daddy? Tell him. Daddy?"


	5. Bouncing Back 5

**Bouncing Back**

**by:** Rhonda and Evelyn

**Character(s):** The Women of the West Wing  
**Pairing(s):** Josh/Donna, CJ/Danny, Toby/Andi, Zoey/Charlie, Will/Ainsley  
**Category(s):** Humor, Romance, Post Ep  
**Rating:** TEEN  
**Disclaimer:** They're not ours and never will be.  
**Summary:** Post-episode story for Inauguration: Over There  
**Spoiler:** Red Haven's On Fire  
**Feedback:** Greatly Appreciated  
**Authors Note:** This is a sequel to "Bouncing Inaugural Balls". Thanks so much for all the wonderful feedback. We had such a good time with these characters that we couldn't resist bringing them back for a little more fun. Enjoy! 

* * *

"Did you know that these cabins were remodeled in the 1970s? They were pretty primitive before." Ainsley pulled her legs up under her and moved a little closer to him on the cabin sofa, the now empty tray on the coffee table in front of them.

Casually draping his arm over the sofa back, his fingers inches from a swath of long blonde hair, Will gave her a quick smile before seriously responding, "No. I only found out last night that we were coming here for the weekend. I haven't had time to do any research about Camp David. Seems like I remember that Roosevelt and Churchill planned the Allies invasion of Europe here. But I don't know anything else about the history. Perhaps you'd be kind enough to tutor me a little?"

Ainsley grinned at the shy speechwriter. Rubbing her eyes, she responded, "I'd be happy to. Camp David was called Shangri-la when Franklin Roosevelt had it constructed. Then it was renamed by Dwight Eisenhower, after his grandson David. The Navy runs the place year-round, coordinating with the Secret Service when the President is in residence. The Presidential cabin is called Aspen Lodge. Have you noticed yet that almost all the guest cabins are named after trees? Take this one for..."

A contented Will loosened his tie and sank back against the sofa cushions as her words washed over him. He could listen to her talk for hours. Nodding in response when she asked him if he had seen the pool, Will realized that she seemed prepared to do just that.

* * *

"I want a guard on the door," Jed Bartlet whispered fiercely to Ron Butterfield, the head of his Secret Service detail. They were standing in the pine-paneled living room of the President's cabin, off which there were five bedrooms. 

"Yes, Mr. President."

"He's not to leave that bedroom and no one is to enter."

"I understand."

"With a shoot to kill order if he so much as takes a step towards..."

"Mr. President, I don't think that's possible."

"Ok, a shoot to maim order, and you know where to maim."

"We'll keep him confined to his room until..."

"When is the plan set to go down?" An impatient Jed Bartlet asked, interrupting Ron.

"2300 hours, Sir."

"I'm counting on you Ron. We're talking national security here. The fate of this great nation is at stake."

"How is that, Sir?" Ron wondered if the history of the place was getting to the current President. Ron was beginning to feel like they were planning an invasion. 

"I'm going to be indicted for murder if I have to listen to one more sentence from that panty-waisted, poncy little hairdresser."

"Don't worry, Mr. President. He won't be talking to you or anyone for a long time. I've brought in a special consultant to help with the job."

"Yeah? Who?"

"It's need-to-know only, Sir.  But, he's ex-CIA."

The President nodded solemnly, walked into the master bedroom and shut the door. 

* * *

"I'm gonna pull up my pants now, so you'll need to bend with me."

"Fine."

"Then I'll help you change."

CJ glared at him, her right arm crossing his lower back and her right hand firmly attached to his right hip, just below the waistband of his boxers.

Danny wisely refrained from saying more, pulling up his slacks and zipping them closed. He tried to button the waistband but couldn't. If her hand was going to be a permanent fixture, he'd need to move up to a 38-inch waistband on his pants.

Pulling his shirt over his head, he just managed to avoid elbowing her.

"Okay," Danny said, smoothing down his hair. "Your turn. What's coming off first? The top or the shorts?"

"I'll handle dressing myself - thank you very much. You've helped plenty already. I'm going to get a pair of sweat pants out of my bag and pull them on over the shorts. Then I'll figure something out for a top."

"Well, as long as you're not worried about too much bulk on your hips. I know women worry about how their backsides look."

"Shut up and close your eyes."

"I thought so."

* * *

Ron Butterfield took up his post, eyes darting around the perimeter of the now-empty room. Speaking quietly into his radio microphone, the senior agent checked with the security detail outside the cabin. All systems were go. He was confident that his men could handle the drill. They were experts at undercover security work and had trained for years for situations like this. The agent frowned at that thought. Maybe not exactly situations like this, but he had to agree with the President, something had to be done and soon. He contemplated the diplomatic repercussions, but decided that the head of the Free World was right. Sometimes you just had to take a chance for peace, domestic peace in this case.

He was mentally reviewing the details of the plan when the outside door to Aspen Lodge opened quietly, the First Lady moving to stand just inside the entryway. He started to speak, but she held her fingers to her lips, indicating the need for silence. He nodded and walked over to her.

"Ma'am?" he said softly.

"I need help," Abbey whispered and he could hear the desperation in her voice as she parted the drapes on a nearby window and checked the patio outside.

He immediately snapped to attention, his ears alert, his hand on his gun, ready to draw it at an instant's notice. "Of course. Should I call..."

"No," she said forcefully, then lowered her voice again. "No. I need this to be done quietly, but as soon as possible. I can't take another minute of her, not another minute. Please. You know who it is and you know what must be done. I can't be held responsible if I have to listen to another second of..."

Ron smiled, his trigger finger relaxing. "Don't worry, Ma'am. We all understand. I think your problem can be addressed at the same time another situation is dealt with - we began working on a contingency plan last week in case you came to your...uh, realized the implications of . . well, anyway - we'll take care of it."

"Soon?" Abbey pleaded, ignoring the fact that the senior agent was implying she'd made a bad staff decision. Hell, everyone had told her that - most not so discreetly as Ron Butterfield.

"Sooner than you might think, Ma'am."

"And you won't tell anyone? I'd be so embarrassed. I couldn't face - and Josh would think - but it's got to be done."

"Yes, Ma'am. And don't worry. We'll take this secret with us to our graves."

The First Lady squeezed Ron's hand and said breathlessly, "I can't begin to thank you." The senior agent gave her a reassuring nod, and the First Lady then crossed the room and entered the master bedroom.

Ron spoke into his radio again. "We have a second target for tonight. Morgan le Fay will be joining us. Better tell Lancelot."

* * *

"Isn't there a song - 'Stuck On You'? Mac chuckled, leaning over Debbie's shoulder and taking a look. "Whiskey could probably sing it for you."

"I doubt Whiskey could do justice to an Elvis song. Anyway, some diaper rash cream would probably help more," an interested Debbie offered as Charlie finally pried CJ's hand from Danny's hip.

"She does a mighty fine rendition of 'Ain't Nothing But A Hound Dog'," Mac argued.

Debbie raised her eyebrows in disbelief. "Right. Maybe you should put a little white rhinestone collar on her and take her to Vegas." 

"She'd probably bring in more money than an alpaca any day."

"Watch it! " Danny yelped as the acetone stung his irritated skin. He was lying on his stomach on a bed in one of the spare bedrooms of Aspen Lodge, CJ sitting beside him and Charlie standing to the side. Debbie and Mac were hovering behind Charlie. Whiskey was sitting on the mattress near his feet, licking at Danny's ankles in a gesture of sympathy whenever Danny cried out.

"Be quiet," CJ hissed, slapping the back of his head with her other hand. "You don't want Abbey and the President to come in here."

"Hey. I get more support from the dog than..."

"Okay, your ass is your own again," Charlie remarked as he gathered up the pile of cotton balls and tissues he'd used to remove the Super glue. "Must have been a real pain in the butt walking over here like that."

"Forget him. I was the one that looked like a sex maniac copping a feel of his ass." CJ got to her feet, pulling at the t-shirt poncho Danny had cut up for her to wear over her camisole. She re-tied the sides a little tighter and wished she had thought to bring along another shirt.

Danny perked up at her words. "Speaking of sex... maybe now that you've felt the goods, you might want to actually purchase the merchandise."

CJ leaned over to hit him again, but Whiskey barked in warning, figuring the red-haired human had been hurt enough, and moving to stand over him.

"They looked cute, strolling in arm-in-arm. Very romantic," Debbie teased. "When they asked to talk with me privately, I thought maybe they needed condoms."

A staid-looking Charlie gave her a measuring look. 

Debbie caught him and laughed. "What? I have an active social life."

Mac chuckled again, ordering Whiskey off the bed so Danny could get up.

Danny's face was almost as red as the skin where the glue had bonded his skin to CJ's palm. "I thought you left," he grumbled, glaring at the President's Executive Assistant and yanking up his pants. "Did you see anything *you* liked?"

"Since it was my fingernail polish remover and this is my room, I figured I had a ticket to the show. Do you run? You've got pretty good muscle tone for a desk-jockey," Debbie remarked with a impish grin as an embarrassed Danny got to his feet.

"I don't want to discuss my ass anymore today please."

"That's a first." CJ smirked and walked into the bathroom to wash the acetone off her hand. 

Charlie tossed the cotton balls in the trash and handed the bottle of acetone back to the older woman. "Well, now that you're a free man again, I need your help with a thing."

"What?" the reporter asked, resisting the urge to rub his stinging hip while the older woman was still watching him.

Charlie shrugged his shoulder in the direction of the door. "Let's take a walk."

"Do I want to know about this?" CJ asked, standing in the bathroom doorway, drying her hands.

"Nope." Charlie smiled at her and then glanced at Danny. "But I promise the only press that will ever know about it is gonna be a co-conspirator and he owes me one."

* * *

"I can't believe I ate the whole thing."

"I tried to tell you."

"How could you let me eat the whole bowl?"

"You wouldn't listen. You never listen."

"I don't think the babies like chili." The red-haired Congresswoman, who had won 86 percent of the vote in her last election, moaned and rubbed her swollen belly.

"Or maybe Bertha and Bluto don't like coleslaw and applesauce mixed together. Or maybe they're not crazy about cornbread dipped in Russian dressing then doused with hot pepper sauce," the bearded Communications Director offered as an alternative. He thought for a second then added, "But you're probably right. I don't think my children like the President's chili. I don't think anyone in their right mind would eat his version of fiery hell."

"No, I think it was the carrot sticks. They don't seem to be sitting right. The babies don't like orange vegetables."

"Yeah, that's probably it," he sighed. Looking at the pained expression on Andi's face, Toby became slightly alarmed. "Maybe you should lie down... no maybe we should call your doctor or ..."

"Or maybe you should give me one of the antacids in your pocket and just sit with me a few minutes," Andi said with a small smile as she noticed the growing panic in the face of her children's father.

"Or I could do that." He reached into his pocket and took out four different rolls of antacids. "You want mint-flavored, orange-flavored, cherry, or lemon?"

"Everything but the orange-colored one because the babies don't like..."

"Right," he agreed and pulled her back against him and stared at the flames in the stone fireplace. He could feel her relax and he gently rubbed her belly, feeling tiny kicks and pokes from within.

"Hmmmm, Toby, that feels good. The babies like it... so do I."

"I'm sorry you got left behind. I honestly thought you were with..."

"Shhhh. I know you didn't do it on purpose. You've been so good to me Toby, and I know that lately I may seem to be a little more irritable..."

"Than Attila the Hun on steroids," he chuckled, then pulled her back when she started to sit forward to object. 

"Did I mention that I loathe you with every fiber of my being and hope you burn... ooooh, yeah, right there, right there, Toby. My back has been killing me, and when you press right there..."

"I know I can be a pain in..." the Communications Director murmured, moving his hands from the small of her back around to her lower belly.

"And I'm not always as sweet as pie," she whispered, holding his hands against her.

"But you know I'd do anything..."

"I do know. Ooof, I think Bertha just kicked Bluto in his...," she giggled.

"I felt that... maybe she'll be a place kicker for..."

"Or a writer..."

"They should have your intelligence... and definitely your beauty," he said softly, kissing the top of her head.

"Toby?"

"Mmmmm," he answered, trailing kisses down the side of her neck, thoughts of perhaps coaxing her to share a bed with him flickering though his mind.

"Do you think they have any more of that fudge sauce and cornbread?"


	6. Bouncing Back 6

**Bouncing Back**

**by:** Rhonda and Evelyn

**Character(s):** The Women of the West Wing  
**Pairing(s):** Josh/Donna, CJ/Danny, Toby/Andi, Zoey/Charlie, Will/Ainsley  
**Category(s):** Humor, Romance, Post Ep  
**Rating:** TEEN  
**Disclaimer:** They're not ours and never will be.  
**Summary:** Post-episode story for Inauguration: Over There  
**Spoiler:** Red Haven's On Fire  
**Feedback:** Greatly Appreciated  
**Authors Note:** This is a sequel to "Bouncing Inaugural Balls". Thanks so much for all the wonderful feedback. We had such a good time with these characters that we couldn't resist bringing them back for a little more fun. Enjoy! 

* * *

"Do you know what the press called the trailer assigned to the media during President Nixon's term of office? They called it Poison Ivy Lodge... but when President Ford was sworn in, they renamed it... do you know what it was called? Come on try and guess..."

Will had no idea what Ainsley was talking about and he didn't care. Her voice was like angels singing, not that he'd actually ever heard an angel, or at least he didn't think he had, but he was sure that the mellifluous, sweet tones coming from the goddess with long blonde hair who was sitting just inches from him would sound just like an angel. He couldn't believe he was with such a beautiful woman... a woman with hair the color of pale yellow silk, eyes the color of the azure sea, skin the color of... red... angry fire engine red?

"The press installed a new sign on the trailer that read Honeysuckle. You know I'm a Republican, my father was a Republican, my grandfather was a Republican, and we're all mighty proud to say it, but I have no trouble acknowledging that President Nixon was wrong, just plain wrong. Why in the world he... "

"Um, Ainsley?"

"Yes, Will," the Assistant White House Counsel smiled at the shy speechwriter, as she rubbed her rapidly swelling eyes - pale blue orbs that could easily hypnotize the newly appointed Deputy Communications Director if they weren't swimming in tears.

"Are you okay?" he asked anxiously, moving closer, then jumping back as the blonde Tar Heel began sneezing and wheezing uncontrollably, her head flinging back and forth like a rag doll with each explosive outburst.

"Your... your... shirt... dog hair," she gasped, pointing at the pinstriped, button-down oxford shirt that the speechwriter had donned that morning.

"Oh my God," Will cried, frantically ripping the buttons open and tossing the shirt over the coffee table and into the fire blazing in the rock fireplace. "I'll get a cool cloth for your face or maybe you should take a shower. The steam might help." Before she could answer, he lifted her from the couch and started to carry her into the bathroom.

"Clar..."

"Clara? Who's Clara? Do you want me to call someone named Clara? Is she the nurse on duty?"

"tin," she panted, beginning to scratch at her arms and sides.

"Tin - Rin Tin Tin?  No, no her name is Whiskey. But it doesn't matter. I'll never go near her again. I'll have her sent to the Arctic Circle. I'll..."

"Purse," she huffed, pointing to the large brown satchel by the sofa, and snuggling a little closer to the speechwriter's chest, which was remarkably well-toned for a man of words she noticed.

"Claritin, in your purse," Will shrieked as though coming up with the winning answer in a game of charades. He whipped around from the bathroom doorway and hustled over to the sofa, not willing to put down his precious bundle. Sitting on the cushions and continuing to hold her wheezing body on his lap, Will used one hand to paw through the pocketbook, frantically tossing candy wrappers, as he searched for the antihistamine.

"Got it," he yelped, handing her the pill and then grabbing the remains of a glass of iced tea from the tray. 

She downed the pill and the liquid in one fast gulp. Once she finished, Ainsley smiled weakly and put her head down on his well-muscled shoulder, her fingers lying limply on his bare skin, her breathing obviously pained.

"Do you think the steam would help?" he asked, tightening his hold around the tiny waist of the Southern lawyer and preparing to stand once again.

"I think sitting in a warm, steam-filled room with you might be just what the doctor ordered," she wheezed. "But your slacks... the dog sat on them."

"Oh. Right. When I get the water running, I'll get rid of them."

Ainsley smiled and shut her eyes. She could learn to love that dog.

* * *

The lights along the pathway and garden were subdued, giving out only enough light to allow people to safely traverse the campground from the main lodge to the various cabins and outbuildings.

"Things always this exciting around here?" Mac stopped on the neatly tended stone path and prepared to light a cigar.

"Quite often even more so," a sarcastic Debbie responded, snatching the cigar from his mouth and tossing it into a nearby flowerpot.

"I take it you don't smoke," Mac growled, his eyes narrowing in irritation. He slipped his lighter back in his pocket, figuring to try another when his assigned keeper let him off his chain.

"Not even second-hand smoke," she declared, glancing over to where Whiskey was sitting, staring up into a tree. "What's she doing?"

"Wishing the squirrel would surrender."

* * *

"Sweet Knees?"

"Hmmm."

"Did you think the chili was a little mild this time? I had to use the kitchen's chili powder and it just didn't seem to have the punch my own special blend has. What did you think?" 

Still dressed from dinner, but with their shoes kicked off, the First Couple were lying on top of the spread of the king-sized bed in the master bedroom of Aspen Lodge. A roaring fire in the mammoth brick hearth warmed the room. 

The First Lady chose that moment to snuggle closer to her husband, running her hands through his gray-flecked hair, and pressing her lips to his, then deepening the kiss.

Finally, he pulled back, slightly breathless. The Commander-in-Chief caught his bride's chin and held it in place. Staring deeply into her dark brown eyes, he whispered, "You didn't eat any, did you?"

"Never touch the stuff, Jethro, you know that. I want to live to see Zoey's kids grow up... although if I thought for one moment that... well, what is it Charlie calls him? Frog Prince? If I thought he was going to be the father of my grandchildren, well... I'd have her in a convent so fast her head would spin," Abbey growled. Then sighing, she looked at the Leader of the Free World and the father of her daughters and asked, "What the hell are we going to do about Frenchie? Jed, he's just plain God-awful obnoxious. I'm ready to tear my hair out every time I'm with them. This morning he went on and on about the garlic butter his mother uses for the snails she serves that she personally catches in her garden... Apparently royalty enjoys getting their hands dirty for snails. Hell, I almost spit my corn flakes all over his designer suit. We've got to do something, Jed. I can't last another day with that spawn of a French Satan."

The Commander-in-Chief clasped his strung out wife to his chest, and ran his hand up and down her back, trying to get her to relax. "Shhhh. I have a feeling that Pepe Le Peu won't be bothering us much soon."

"You mean it, Josiah. I could be very grateful to someone who rid the world of that French parasite, if you know what I mean." Smiling, she slowly began to unbutton the President's starched white shirt.

He leaned back against the pillows, enjoying the attention, then took a deep breath and decided the time had come to bring up another decidedly touchy issue. "But as long as we're talking about royal pains in the ass..."

His wife stopped her ministrations and arched an eyebrow in question, tapping one red fingernail against his belt buckle. "Do I want to hear this?"

The President of the last Super Power plowed on. "I didn't even get a bite of my watered-down chili or a hunk of the cornbread because your Chief of Staff wouldn't shut up. She went on in exquisite detail what she intended to do to the manhood of anyone who questioned her plan to, I don't know, take over the world or my job or something. She was waving around her butter knife so much that Ron Butterfield finally had to take it away from her. Abigail, that woman is a danger to society or at least to anyone who has a Y chromosome. She's pissed off every member of Congress she's met. Even CJ is about ready to shove a motherboard up her... and Josh is, well Josh is hanging on by a thread. The poor boy even went without supper to avoid her for a few hours. I don't know how you can stand to be in the same room with her for more than 30 seconds and that's at least 40 seconds longer than I can handle. Sweet Tarts, you've got to rid my world of that She-Devil from the pits of Hades."

"Shhhh, my little cupcake. It's going to be just fine. Don't worry your incredibly handsome head about it. I just have a feeling that the feminazi from Hell is planning to move on very soon."

"Abbey, what have you done?" Jed questioned, catching at her hand as she slid down his zipper.

"Me. Nothing you wouldn't approve of gumdrop, or do - if you'd thought of it first." She grinned at him, then sat up in the bed, slowly unbuttoning her blue silk blouse.

"You're so sexy when you bring the tough love, my sweet. Come here," the Chief Executive growled and pulled his First Lady close for a kiss. 

* * *

"I've got to go," Danny mumbled, tearing his mouth away from hers. "Charlie needs..."

"I need you, too." An amorous CJ wrapped one leg around his thigh, trying to discourage his leaving. "You said you wanted me. Well, here I am. Take me."

Danny glanced around the seemingly deserted pool area wondering where all the Secret Service agents were positioned and how many cameras were pointed at them. No way was he baring his ass for another crowd's amusement.

"Couldn't I get a rain-check?" he whimpered, trying to raise up from the chaise lounge that CJ had impulsively decided was the perfect place for their first time. After four years of chasing her, she'd decided that now was the time. Shit. Anyone - like the President for one - could walk up on them here. He was a gambler but not a fool. And besides, he'd promised Charlie he'd meet him five minutes ago. 

"Dan-ny. All this time I thought you wanted..."

He hated to do it but, desperate times required desperate measures. Interrupting her, he lied. "I think I saw a snake out here earlier. I know how you..."

"Ouch." The chaise lounge was empty and Danny was left alone, sitting directly on the rock patio, rubbing his bruised behind. 

A wet swipe on his ear had him scrambling to his feet. 

"What the..."

Whiskey stared up at him. Danny swore she was smiling.

"Shut up."

* * *

"I've been looking all over for you."

"The Fresh Prince of Versailles settled down for the night?" the President's assistant asked, looking up from the video he was watching. He was alone in a small den in the cabin that housed the dining room, New Laurel.

"Mr. Butterfield insisted on escorting Jean-Paul back to his room after the little incident in the dining room. I think the choke-hold was a little bit of an over-reaction."

"He barfed all over the Leader of the Free World."

"Talk about projectile vomiting. I thought we were watching a rerun of 'The Exorcist'," the First Daughter giggled. 

"Didn't you say that Lucifer was his middle name?"

"Lucien. His name is Jean-Paul Lucien de Bourbon."

"Close enough." Charlie shrugged, turning his gaze back to the screen.

"What are you watching?" Zoey asked, sitting down on the couch next to her ex-boyfriend and reaching across his lap to take a handful of popcorn. Her hand glanced across his lap, lingering for the briefest of seconds, as she settled back against the cushions, with a mere three inches separating their bodies.

"'Mission Impossible', without subtitles," he sarcastically answered, reaching across her chest to grab the bottle of beer that was resting on the end table. He brought it to his lips, took a swig, and then silently offered her some.

"Mmmm, this tastes sooo good."

"It's Bud Lite," Charlie pointed out. "I think it was bottled in Milwaukee last week."

She handed him back the bottle and watched carefully as he put his lips where hers had just been and drank some of the amber liquid. 

"My eyes are kind of light sensitive. Would you mind if I turned off the lamp?" Zoey asked in a low voice.

"I wouldn't want your eyes to get irritated," Charlie whispered, reaching across his ex-girlfriend to hit the switch, plunging the room into darkness except for the flickering light from the video. 

"Your kindness and consideration for others has always been an endearing quality," she answered breathlessly. 

"Zoey, what are you doing?" the Presidential assistant asked in surprise.

"Getting some popcorn, of course," she answered, and even if he couldn't see her smile, he could hear it.

"That's not popcorn you've got in your hands."

* * *

"Abbey?" Jed Bartlet glanced at the bedside clock and sat up, searching for his discarded boxers. Getting no response from his wife, he nudged her bare shoulder. "Abbey."

"Not again so soon, Mr. President." Abbey rolled over onto her back, naked except for the sheet pooling around her hips. She smiled up at him. "Your stealth bomber sank all my battle ships - I'm going to have to re-arm before we go at it again."

Jed grinned. "Well, as much as I'd like to mount another invasion, I don't have time right now. We have to get dressed."

"In the morning, darling. Right now I'm going to continue to float on this cloud you left me on."

Jed leaned over and kissed her slightly swollen mouth, his hand caressing one of her full breasts. "Sweet Knees, Ron and his mighty men are going to be joining us in about uh, 6 1/2 minutes, give or take a few seconds. You're gonna want to be dressed."

Abbey's passion-filled eyes suddenly narrowed, "Damnit, Jethro! What's going on?"

Jed smiled and grabbed his pants off the end of the bed. "Just a little fire drill."

* * *

"Do you hear that?" Will asked, pulling his lips away from those of the damp Republican attorney who was curled upon his lap. As the siren blared again, he jumped to his feet, still holding her in his arms.

"I don't... yes. It's some kind of alarm. We should..." Ainsley urged him to put her down.

She turned off the shower and snagged a towel off the counter to wipe her damp face.

Will circled in place, his glasses fogged with moisture. "Yeah. We need to evacuate. Uh, first I need my pants and you should button..."

Ainsley opened the bathroom door, letting out clouds of steam into the cabin bedroom. The strident noise was getting louder, shaking the glass in the windows. "Oh, God. Do you think we're under attack?"

"Attack? Oh, geez. Uh, I think we're supposed to go to a shelter... there's an emergency plan. I saw a laminated card somewhere. Maybe on the...uh, where..."

"Outside the main conference room, New Laurel cabin," Ainsley responded grabbing his arm and dragging him towards the main door. 

Will managed to resist long enough to get both legs in his pants and grab his laptop. If they survived, he wouldn't want to leave the President speechless.

* * *

"Did I do that?" Andi asked, startled when the sirens sounded just as she opened the refrigerator door in the large kitchen of the New Laurel cabin.

Toby, in the middle of building Andi a sandwich big enough to feed three people, paused and counted the blasts. "Nah. That's a fire alarm. We better head for the patio outside. I'm sure Ron Butterfield will be evacuating the President and the First Lady. We'll need to be ready to go too.

Andi pulled a bottle of mustard out of the refrigerator and then reached back in for a jar of pickles. "You just finish what you're doing, Mister. I don't smell any smoke yet."

Toby opened his mouth to protest, then thought better of it. He slapped another slice of bologna on the bread and carefully arranged the sliced tomatoes in the pattern she demanded.

* * *

"Oh, Josh - that's so... I know about 'feeling the earth move' - but I'm hearing bells too."

"Donna, Donna, Donna, " he chanted, rocking the bed with the force of his movements.

"Josh, honey, I think something..."

"Stay with me, Donna. We're almost there. Almost..."

"It's a fire alarm, Josh. We have to go."

"Not now, Donna. Please. Just wait...wait... Oh. Geez."

"Oh, Josh. I'm sorry."

"Yeah. Me too. Me too."


	7. Bouncing Back 7

**Bouncing Back**

**by:** Rhonda and Evelyn

**Character(s):** The Women of the West Wing  
**Pairing(s):** Josh/Donna, CJ/Danny, Toby/Andi, Zoey/Charlie, Will/Ainsley  
**Category(s):** Humor, Romance, Post Ep  
**Rating:** TEEN  
**Disclaimer:** They're not ours and never will be.  
**Summary:** Post-episode story for Inauguration: Over There  
**Spoiler:** Red Haven's On Fire  
**Feedback:** Greatly Appreciated  
**Authors Note:** This is a sequel to "Bouncing Inaugural Balls". Thanks so much for all the wonderful feedback. We had such a good time with these characters that we couldn't resist bringing them back for a little more fun. Enjoy! 

* * *

"What does poison ivy look like? Anything like what we're lying in?" Speaking to the man on his left, Will pushed up his glasses and scratched at his neck as he lay on his stomach in a brushy spot, deep in the Catoctin Mountains of Maryland.

"Shut up!" Charlie hissed, swinging an elbow into Will's ribs to emphasize his statement, all the while continuing to stare at the wooden lean-to through his night-vision goggles.

Undeterred, Will continued his whispered commentary. "How come I'm the only one without goggles? You don't need me for this mission. I could have stayed back at the cabin with Ainsley. She wasn't feeling well, you know. She's allergic to..."

This time it was Danny who responded with a glancing slap to the top of Will's head. 

"Hey!" Will rubbed his head and glared at the red-headed reporter lying next to him on his right.

"Spider," Danny mumbled, hiding a smile. He hadn't had this much fun in years, maybe never since he'd spent most of his youth either delivering newspapers or writing for them. He didn't think he'd even been camping until college. Pushing back the thought that he'd missed an opportunity with CJ, Danny instead concentrated on enjoying the moment.

Will finished brushing his hand through his hair and looked over his shoulder at the shadowy figure standing next to a tree several yards away. "Why do we have to lay here on the ground and he doesn't?"

"I told you, he's guarding our flank." 

"Right," Will sarcastically commented. "Toby just refused to get dirty, didn't he?"

"He doesn't like the outdoors," Danny commented, a large grin spreading beneath the heavy goggles obscuring his features. "I'm surprised he's even here. Charlie must be blackmailing him too. I could use a story for Monday's edition."

"Just keep your butt out of my business," Toby warned, chuckling for the first time since they'd snuck away from New Laurel Cabin during the confusion of the fire alarm.

"Loose lips, Charlie?" Danny flipped up his goggles and glared at the young Presidential aide. "I thought we had a deal?"

Charlie ignored him and pushed up the sleeve on his shirt, exposing his watch. Checking the time as the watch face illuminated for a few seconds, he whispered, "Two minutes. Everyone know what they're supposed to do?"

"Check," Toby replied quickly.

"No," the young speechwriter answered nervously.

"Yeah. Although since you ratted me out, you're gonna owe me one now," Danny complained.

"I didn't tell Toby about CJ's hand getting stuck on your butt. There were others in the room if you'll remember."

"How could CJ possibly get her hand stuck..." Will wondered aloud.

"Shut up. It's time." Charlie took out a small transmitter and pushed a button.

Will whispered, "Uh, Charlie? Perhaps you didn't hear me. I said, no when you inquired as to..." 

"Shut up."

The four men stared in the direction of the wooden lean-to, all of them smiling when the screaming began.

* * *

"Where the hell are they?" CJ demanded, crossing the conference room from where she'd been talking to the Secret Service detail. The all-clear had been given and the women, who had been directed to the pool area when the alarm had first sounded, had now been hustled into the conference room of New Laurel Lodge and instructed to stay put.

"Who?" Andi asked, continuing to nibble away at the triple-decker sandwich she'd insisted upon making before responding to the fire drill.

"You don't notice that someone is missing?" The Press Secretary looked incredulously at the pregnant Congresswoman. "Someone special - or at least someone who has played a big role in your life?"

Andrea Wyatt stopped eating for a moment, and gave her tall friend a blank look.

"The guy who makes you sandwiches," CJ hissed in exasperation. "But for that matter where are Danny, Charlie, Will, Mac? Even the President is missing."

"You're right," the light beginning to dawn for the pregnant redhead. "Where the hell is Toby? He has my bottle of root beer," she humpfed. "He hustled me out to the pool area so fast I barely had time to snatch a few extra olives. Then he headed for the woods. I thought he had to pee. I'm not the only one with a small bladder," she confided. "You think they all have bladder problems?"

It was CJ's turn to look at her friend blankly. Just then, the diminutive Republican joined them. "Could I have a bite of your sandwich? I'm starving."

The Congresswoman glared at the tiny blonde who was staring at her sandwich with predatory eyes. She reluctantly handed over her late night snack. "You know I'm eating for three."

"Mhmmmderstand," Ainsley mumbled trying to get her mouth around the mile-high snack. "But I have this fast metabolism."

"Where's Will?" CJ pressed. "I thought I saw you leading him out to the pool area when the alarm went off."

"His glasses got foggy in the shower. I kept wiping them off, but they'd just fog up again. Of course he kept his eyes shut when we were... " the blonde lawyer blushed. "Anyway, I had to lead him out to the pool area until his glasses unfogged. But then he mumbled something and when he said mission, I thought he was talking about the missionary position. Personally I prefer..."

"He went on a mission too?" Zoey asked, joining the group. 

"What do you mean, too?" Andi demanded.

"Charlie and I were watching a movie together when the alarm went off," Zoey began.

"Which explains the hickey," Andi observed. Zoey's hand flew to her neck while she glanced frantically around the room trying to hone in on the location of her mother. She relaxed when she noticed that Abbey was across the room talking into the walkie-talkie of one of the agents. Zoey pulled up the collar of her shirt to cover the questionable mark.

"Anyway, we rushed out of the den to the pool area and the next thing I know, Charlie's racing to the woods announcing that he was on a special mission."

"So Toby, Will, and Charlie are on a mission," CJ mused. "And I'm guessing that Danny and Josh are with them."

"Josh isn't with them," Ainsley observed. 

The other women spun around the room looking for the Deputy Chief of Staff. 

"He's not here," Ainsley explained. "I guess he's monitoring the situation from the closet. There must be some kind of secure communications equipment in there because he and Donna have been in the closet ever since we got the all-clear sign."

"I think the only thing Mr. Lyman is monitoring is the condition of his..." 

"Mom!" 

Abbey smirked as she joined the other women. "Fine, Sweetie. Joy stick. Is that delicate enough for your young ears, Miss I've-Got-A-New-Hickey? " 

Zoey blushed, her hand checking that the collar was still covering the mark.

"Got ya!" The First Lady gave a deep-throated laugh. "I think I've got a pretty good idea of where to find the rest of the men of the West Wing. Shall we join them?" 

* * *

"What are they doing?"

"They ran out of the lean-to. Now, they're fighting. She just slapped his slimy green..." Charlie chuckled, relishing the sight of Jean-Paul being abused by the First Lady's new Chief of Staff.

"Let me see? Please?" Will asked Danny, knowing that Charlie wasn't going to miss a second of seeing his rival's hazing.

"No way, man. You have no idea what I gave up to be here." Danny shifted uncomfortably on the ground. "Ask your boss for his goggles."

Before Will could respond, Danny added, "Geez - she's got a mean right hook. Charlie, I don't think they're even going to notice all those stick figures you hung from the tree branches."

"I said please," Will whined.

Danny shrugged. "So? You think being polite is gonna get you anywhere. Hasn't being around Toby taught you anything yet?" 

"Quiet! They're gonna hear you two." Charlie flipped a switch on the little black box he had in his left hand. 

"How could they hear us over all that screaming?" Will argued. He held out his hand for Danny's goggles.

Danny ignored him and scooted over a few feet, well out of arm's reach.

Suddenly, the screaming stopped and the sound of wolves took its place, the volume slowly increasing as though the pack were getting nearer.

As the guys looked on, Jean-Paul shouted something in French and Amy responded with a very American curse.

Charlie muttered in disgust. "I can't believe it. That French weeny went up a tree and left her on the ground - defenseless."

"From all I've heard, Amy Gardner is hardly defenseless," Danny retorted, thinking of the woman's skill with sharp objects.

"Toby, can I...where did he go?" A frustrated Will squinted, trying to see Toby in the darkness. Toby definitely wasn't leaning against the tree he'd adopted.

"He's running the hologram projector." Mac emerged from the night in full camouflage, his craggy face painted with black and green stripes.

"Cool." Will pushed up his wire-rimmed glasses and grinned up at the older man, grinning even wider when the cabby tossed him a set of the highly coveted goggles.

Danny looked from the cab driver to a smiling Charlie and shook his head in disbelief. "Damn. I'm getting old - ten years ago I would have figured it out the first night you picked us up. Special Forces?"

Mac bent down on one knee and used his own goggles to survey the battlefield. "Nah. The Agency, retired. Let's get this show on the road."


	8. Bouncing Back 8

**Bouncing Back**

**by:** Rhonda and Evelyn

**Character(s):** The Women of the West Wing  
**Pairing(s):** Josh/Donna, CJ/Danny, Toby/Andi, Zoey/Charlie, Will/Ainsley  
**Category(s):** Humor, Romance, Post Ep  
**Rating:** TEEN  
**Disclaimer:** They're not ours and never will be.  
**Summary:** Post-episode story for Inauguration: Over There  
**Spoiler:** Red Haven's On Fire  
**Feedback:** Greatly Appreciated  
**Authors Note:** This is a sequel to "Bouncing Inaugural Balls". Thanks so much for all the wonderful feedback. We had such a good time with these characters that we couldn't resist bringing them back for a little more fun. Enjoy! 

* * *

"We were looking for a quiet place to work on the medicare bill," the Deputy Chief of Staff explained as he emerged with his assistant from the closet.

The West Wing women glared at him, his candor compromised by the peach-colored lipstick on his neck.

"I needed to make a secure phone call to my mom," he offered up alternatively, believing that an appeal to motherhood was always a good fallback position.

Still not a word from Abbey, Zoey, CJ, Andi, Debbie, and Ainsley who lowered their gazes to the zipper on Josh's pants. His eyes immediately flew to the region below his belt.

"Made you look." CJ laughed.

"Give it up, Josh," Donna advised, smiling in amusement at his reaction to the teasing. "We were doing exactly what you thought we were doing," she admitted with a satisfied grin to the sisterhood, straightening out her sweater and flipping back her hair. "We had a little unfinished personal business to deal with and I'm sure you'll all be relieved to know that Josh's skills aren't limited to the political arena." 

"You go girl," Zoey whispered, offering the blonde assistant a high five, wishing she'd had a few more minutes with Charlie. Actually, she could have used another hour - Charlie was very conscientious about doing a thorough job.

Josh looked around the room for support. "Where's Toby...and Danny... and Charlie... and Will? Where the hell are the men?"

"Can't slip anything past you, Sherlock," Abbey snorted. 

* * *

"I'm pretty sure grizzlies are not native to this area," Will mused, watching the hologram rear up on its hind legs fighting off the wolves - also holograms. Toby was mixing and matching the images with the skill of a veteran film-maker.

Mac chuckled. "Hey, goat boy, I doubt the two up in the tree know their zoology as well as you do." 

"I never did hear that goat story," Danny commented, glancing over at Will. "I'm glad to see you've moved on to dating women."

Will frowned. "I don't think I care for the implication that..."

"Shush. Listen to this," Charlie whispered, hitting another button on his transmitter. An unearthly wail filled the night air. 

Apparently Toby took the cue since the hologram animals chased each other off into the trees.

"What did I miss?" 

Danny and Will yelped in surprise as the President shouldered himself in between them on the ground. "Leo called me at the last minute and I had to deal with a problem in Angola or maybe it was Antigua. I can't believe they couldn't hold off for a few hours on their coup so I could see this."

"You missed the bear and the wolves," Charlie answered. "But we haven't shown the witch yet."

"Good." Jed Bartlet grinned at the men next to him. "The witch was my idea."

* * *

"Where are the men?" Andi repeated, rubbing her stomach and wishing she had a few of the antacids that Toby was carrying. "I need to get my hands in Toby's pants."

The women all turned and stared pointedly at her rounded stomach.

"In the pockets." Andi giggled. "Antacids."

"We'd all like to know where they are and exactly what they're up to," CJ complained, remembering with regret how she had almost gotten exactly what Donna had gotten. She wondered if there really were any snakes out by the pool, other than the two-legged kind that is.

"Let's go find them," Abbey commanded. "I'm not sure exactly where they are, but I've got a pretty good idea of what they're doing."

"Would it have anything to do with the fact that the French demon and the she-devil from Hell aren't here?" Debbie quietly observed, tossing Andi a roll of Tums. Toby had supplied her with part of his emergency stash for instances just like this. 

"Jean-Paul?" Zoey exclaimed. "I forgot about him."

"Well that's progress," her mother breathed a sigh of relief. "Let's go. I think this might be fun."

"Which way?" Josh demanded, more than ready to get out of the women-filled room. He felt distinctly out-numbered.

"Not so fast, lover boy." Abbey whirled around to face the Deputy Chief of Staff. "You're not going anywhere."

"Why not?" and the distinctive whine of the boy from Connecticut could be heard throughout the room. "Are you still punishing me for..."

"You bet," Abbey answered smugly. In fact she blamed him not only for the funding problem, but for her hiring Amy in the first place. Josh drove her to it when he taunted her that day in his office about her nephew's competence. Her nephew might be an idiot but he was family. 

"But I said I was sorry again... and again... and again," he moaned. "And I've been tortured for weeks by a woman who would be more than happy to have me sing soprano in the White House glee club. I wanna go too."

"I didn't know there was a White House glee club ," Ainsley interjected. "I love to sing. Especially show tunes. Has anyone seen Chicago yet?"

"I've been there many times," Andi responded, popping several of the brightly colored antacids into her mouth. "Mostly the airport though."

"Not the town, although I like the town very much. I mean the movie. You know the one with Richard Gere?"

Andi shook her head from side to side. "Nope. I haven't seen it yet. Toby doesn't like musicals."

"Toby likes Catherine Zeta-Jones, though," Josh said with a grin. "He thinks she's hot."

"Hot?" Andi asked, her face reddening as she looked down at the body Toby had compared to a "mini-van."

The women turned as one and glared at Josh.

"Uh. Shouldn't we be going? Out? To look for the guys?" Josh stammered, realizing that he'd just put his life in danger.

"Nope. *We're,* as in you and us, are not going anywhere," Abbey announced, then added, "besides the agent just told me that Leo called and insists that you need to handle something in Antigua. I understand that the President blew him off."

"I don't get to have any fun." Josh all but stamped his foot, his bottom lip curling up to almost touch his nose.

Donna punched him not so lightly on the arm.

"Ow, that hurt," he whimpered, then looked chagrined as he caught a glimpse of his girlfriend's face. "I'm going to call Leo. Enjoy yourself." 

Josh sighed dramatically and headed for the bank of phones against the wall.

* * *

"Will you quit complaining in French? In fact just shut up. You're giving me a headache."

Amy readjusted her grip on the trunk of the tree she was hugging, and glanced down at the cell phone she'd dropped in her climb up the tree. It was still there. The wolves and the bear seemed to be gone. But now some crazy woman in a white sheet was dancing around the area between the lean-to and their lofty perch. 

"I'm not speaking to you. I'm praying to God to save me from the evil that lurks nearby. I know a witch when I see one and I'm surrounded by them. Surrounded, I say. Brutal witches scratching and clawing at me, trying to claim my soul." The French Prince paused in his melodramatic oratory long enough to rub at the sap which was staining the cuff of his designer jacket.

"What do you mean by that?" Amy snapped. "I only slapped you because you were hysterical, you greasy little wimp. I'm sure the Secret Service wouldn't have left us here, if you hadn't insulted that agent's haircut."

"Physical violence is the mark of an uncivilized people. So are Super Cuts."

Amy ignored him, her mouth dropping open as the wailing woman suddenly rose 15 feet into the air, facing her for the first time. "Oh, my God. I didn't even know she was dead."

Jean-Paul huffed, "I'm sure he's not listening to you."

Up the hill, Jed Bartlet was laughing at the expression on Danny and Charlie's faces. They had just gotten a good look at the witch's face too. 

The bushes parted and a positively jovial Toby returned to the group. "Whose idea was it to use Mandy Hampton's image for the witch?"

* * *

"Wait a minute. I have to go to the bathroom," Andi announced as they started to leave the cabin. "The babies take turns dancing on my bladder."

"I need a little snack anyway," Ainsley pointed out. "It's been almost an hour since I..."

"I think I need to change my shoes." CJ pointed to her heels. "Maybe I should get out my new boots. I packed them just in case. Does anyone know if there are really snakes in this area?"

"What kind of boots did you buy? Black snake-skin boots are so hot, " Zoey said focusing in on the fashion issue. "I've been looking for some that . . ."

"Catherine Zeta-Jones isn't that hot," Andi mused out loud. "At least I don't gain weight in my face when I'm pregnant."

"Do you know that some people actually eat snakes?" Ainsley commented. " I personally haven't tried it, but I've heard that it tastes like chicken. Doesn't fried chicken sound good? With some mashed potatoes and gravy. I like the white gravy, not the..."

"Two minutes ladies or we'll miss the whole slide show," Donna declared, interrupting Ainsley's food fantasy.

The women stopped in their tracks and stared at the blonde assistant who was smiling like the cat who'd swallowed the canary.

"You know when, where and how, don't you?" Abbey exclaimed, wondering why she was surprised that Donna knew what was going on. Donna seemed to have her fingers on the pulse of everything that was going on in the Administration. Abbey found her eyes drawn to those capable hands.

"Maybe," Donna answered mysteriously, beginning to feel a little anxiety about her minor role in tormenting the First Lady's employee, even if the woman was Josh's ex. She also felt a little self-conscious about the First Lady's sudden fascination with her hands. Maybe her polish was chipped?

Sliding both hands behind her back, Donna crossed her fingers that she was talking to Abbey the woman and not Abbey the wife of the most powerful man in the world.

"But...but...but how did you know that I'd want to get rid of... er include my chief of staff in this mission?" Abbey finally asked, raising her eyes to those of Josh's assistant, completely aware that Donna had hidden her hands as though trying to hide her role in what was happening.

"I have faith in you Mrs. B," Donna said hesitantly. "And," she fought the urge to bring her hands from behind her back and slap them over her mouth before she got into more trouble, "if you hadn't come to your senses soon, then I was prepared to take matters into my own hands."

Abbey smiled at the irony of Donna's statement.

Donna grinned in relief that the First Lady didn't seem angry at her frankness. But maybe she'd better keep one finger crossed, just in case. "Now, we'd better hurry. We don't want to miss the main event." 


	9. Bouncing Back 9a

**Bouncing Back**

**by:** Rhonda and Evelyn

**Character(s):** The Women of the West Wing  
**Pairing(s):** Josh/Donna, CJ/Danny, Toby/Andi, Zoey/Charlie, Will/Ainsley  
**Category(s):** Humor, Romance, Post Ep  
**Rating:** TEEN  
**Disclaimer:** They're not ours and never will be.  
**Summary:** Post-episode story for Inauguration: Over There  
**Spoiler:** Red Haven's On Fire  
**Feedback:** Greatly Appreciated  
**Authors Note:** This is a sequel to "Bouncing Inaugural Balls". Thanks so much for all the wonderful feedback. We had such a good time with these characters that we couldn't resist bringing them back for a little more fun. Enjoy! 

* * *

"We should have brought more flashlights, it's really dark once you get away from the cabins," Andi commented, trying to watch where she was stepping on the uneven ground.

"Here," CJ said, handing Andi the flashlight she'd confiscated from a smitten Marine guard. "We don't want you falling and tumbling down a hill with Jack and Jill." 

Andi grimaced at the bad joke, but gladly took the flashlight. "I can guarantee you that the twins are not going to be named Jack and Jill. Well, not Jack anyway. I kind of like Jill or rather Gillian."

"Gillian is a great name. Like Gillian Anderson," Zoey commented, walking up and letting Andi take her arm as they started down a steep slope.

"Who?" Abbey asked, beginning to regret allowing Andi to accompany them. Actually, she was beginning to regret leading any of them out into the night. None of them, including Zoey, were teenagers anymore and this was definitely something only teenagers would enjoy.

"Ma'am, I believe she starred on the now-cancelled television show, 'The X-Files'. She played an FBI agent who investigated the supernatural and aliens." Ainsley offered the First Lady a granola bar in addition to the television trivia.

"It was a cool show," Zoey added. "Lots of creatures jumping out of the dark at her and Mulder. Did you see the one where these things could change into trees or shrubs and you wouldn't know they were there unless you looked back and saw the red glowing eyes staring at you?"

"How interesting," Abbey grimaced, "and comforting considering our present circumstances." She glanced around the pitch dark glen and wondered just how many eyes were watching their progress. She knew the Secret Service and the Marine guards were out there, but still..." Maybe we should go back, fix some popcorn and watch a movie instead of this idiocy. I can't believe I thought this was a good idea."

"Popcorn?" Anisley's whole body seemed to vibrate with anticipation, like a dog waiting for a bacon snack.

"Hey, you guys don't have to stop because of me," Andi huffed. "A little walk won't hurt me. Some exercise might keep me from moving out of the mini-van category into the bus division."

"What's that smell?" Donna asked, coming to a sudden stop. Since she was in the lead, all the women skidded to a stop behind her, Ainsley dropping her chocolate bar that she had been in the process of unwrapping.

"A skunk," Debbie said, speaking for the first time during their trek. "It's getting closer too."

"Oh, my God," CJ hissed. "We've got to get out of here."

"But is it behind us or in front of us?" Zoey asked whirling around, trying to get a fix on the odor.

"There," Abbey pointed seeing one red glowing eye approaching.

"Too tall for a skunk," Ainsley nervously reflected. "I think it might be one of those alien things."

Andi calmly stretched and rubbed her lower back with both hands. "I smell a cigar. I think our alien smokes the same brand as my ex-husband."

"Mine are Cubans," Mac replied, unexpectedly materializing right in front of them. "Your ex-husband's too cheap to buy these. You ladies might want to get up wind. Goat boy had a little run-in with the wildlife out here."

* * *

"Are you okay?" the blonde Republican counsel anxiously asked the newest addition to the Bartlet staff. Everyone else had taken ten steps back away from the less-than-fragrant Will Bailey whose face, under the glare of the flashlight that Ainsley was shining on him, was beet red.

"I thought it was a hologram, but it seemed a little grainy, so I was going to adjust the focus dial," Will whispered, "and then Whiskey barked, and the next thing I knew..."

"It's not your fault," the tiny Southerner crooned soothingly, and the speechwriter smiled in gratitude at the compassion being offered. "Let's go back to the Lodge and I'll put you in a tomato juice bath," she suggested. She looped her arm around his, ignoring the stench, and they trudged back up the hill.

"He got skunked," Danny observed, walking up to join the group, "but on the up side, I think our 'guests' will be stuck in a tree for quite awhile. I heard someone hit a high note that I think shattered my night vision goggles." 

Toby and the President were right behind the red-haired reporter. Toby was showing the older man how the hologram projector worked, trying to keep the President from breaking it before Mac could return it to the CIA.

"Amy always did have an irrational fear of skunks," Josh added as he trotted up to join the women. He had met Ainsley and Will on the trail and gotten an abbreviated version of the night's events. 

"She recognized family members she didn't like," Donna muttered.

"That was Frog boy screaming like a girl," Charlie explained bringing up the rear. "Amy was shrieking but it was mainly questioning Frenchie's manhood." Charlie then directed his gaze towards Josh, adding, "And yours too for that matter."

"What the hell are you doing here?" Abbey glared at the Deputy Chief of Staff \- the same man she'd ordered to remain at the main cabin, not a half-hour earlier.

"Leo asked me to check with the President about committing an additional $5 million in humanitarian aid to victims of a tornado in Georgia," Josh quietly explained. "He also said to tell you that the Keene Women's Shelter has received the funding you sought for the education program."

"Amy said that there was no way the shelter would get any more money," Abbey exclaimed in surprise. "What happened?"

The Deputy Chief of Staff shrugged and walked over to stand next to Toby and the President, grinning at their tug-of-war over the expensive piece of experimental electronics.

"Josh fought Leo to get that funding," Donna whispered, staring at the First Lady who caught her gaze. The older lady nodded in silent acknowledgment that Josh had redeemed himself. 

"Mr. President." Josh looked seriously at the Chief Executive, who had, through the intervention of the Secret Service, gained sole possession of the hologram projector from Toby. "I can get Leo on my cell phone so you can authorize FEMA into action. Then you can head back out again, and I'll follow up at the Lodge." Josh held out his cell phone.

The President waved off the phone, tossing the projector back to Toby with a smirk at his anxious scramble to catch it. "No, I've enjoyed Charlie's theatrical production, but the skunk kind of put a damper on my enthusiasm for more night maneuvers. I'll go back with you to the Lodge and we'll conference with Leo about the tornado aid and anything else we need to fix. I think we've set the wheels in motion..." He smiled, cocking his head towards the woods. "Now it's just a matter of letting nature take its course."

"I'll go on ahead and get Leo and the head of FEMA on the phones," Josh offered, wanting to get a little distance from the group. Will wasn't the only one who had a certain "odor" about him.

"I'll come with you," Donna said immediately, her own eyes starting to water at the pungent smell. Turning quickly to head back up the rocky path, she stumbled, and Josh hastily grabbed her by the waist, and pulled her back against him. 

"I'll be right along," the President called after them.

"I'm right beside you, Jethro," Abbey said thoughtfully, watching the Deputy Chief of Staff and his assistant walk up the trail hand in hand. "You're going to need a shower before you do anything else. We're also going to burn the clothes you're wearing."

"I don't smell, do I?" He sniffed at his leather bomber jacket, hoping he wasn't about to lose a favorite article of clothing.

Abbey grimaced. "You might not have been in the line of fire, but a good scrubbing is definitely in order." She looked at the other men, wrinkled her nose, and added, "for all of you."

"Okay. You guys can take the rest of the evening off to air out," the Leader of the Free World offered, smiling. "It's just a coup and a tornado - Josh and I can handle it."

* * *

"Tired?" Toby asked his pregnant ex-wife as they neared the cabin he was sharing with Josh. He had his arm firmly tucked under hers to steady her on the uneven ground. "Or do you want to come in for some hot cocoa? I saw they had some packets and an electric teakettle."

"Cocoa would be nice," she said softly. "I'm fine," she added, smiling at him, catching the look of concern in his eyes. "Don't worry so much."

He led her over to the sofa and deposited her gently. "I don't mean to be a pain." He added water to the electric kettle, plugged it in, emptied packets of cocoa into two mugs, then crossed to the couch and sat down.

"I know." Andi grasped Toby's hand, her thumb lightly brushing the gold band on his finger that still spoke to his marital commitment, regardless of any legal documents . The two shared a smile and Andi rested her head on his shoulder. They sat quietly until the wailing shriek of the kettle pierced their reverie. Reluctantly, Toby rose, crossed to the kitchenette, and poured the hot water into the mugs.

Handing one to Andi, he sat back down on the sofa, stretching his arm around her shoulders as she leaned back against his chest. 

"How did you get roped into this caper?" Andi asked mischievously, sipping the warm beverage.

"Team Toby," he whispered.

She leaned forward so she could turn to catch his eyes. "Team Toby?" she pushed. "What's that?"

He tugged at her to resume her former position, and when she had snuggled close again, he whispered, "Charlie, Josh, and Danny have joined forces with me to..." He hesitated.

"To what?" Andi demanded.

"To help convince you to marry me," he confessed. "It looks like the President and Mac have also enlisted."

"How long has this been going on," Andi squeaked.

"Since the Fall when we were in North Carolina at Debate Camp. We have t-shirts and hats."

"You've got good friends," she said softly. 

"We've been backing each other up."

"At the Inauguration, when you left with Josh," she murmured.

"Right. At least that has finally worked out. Josh and Donna seem so happy together," he said squeezing her hand. "So far we're one for four," he sighed, the disappointment clear in his voice.

"You're definitely at least two for four." Andi laughed. "You should have seen the made-in-America hickey on Zoey's neck."

Toby pumped his fist in the air. "Yes!" 

Andi rolled her eyes at the victory shout. She took his hand, and turned in her seat to face him.

"I was so scared when I found out I was pregnant," she began, and he squeezed her fingers in silent support. "We'd wanted a baby so much when we were married and not being able to have one, all those fertility treatments, the miscarriages, the anger, the disappointment..."

"Shhh. It's behind us. We're having not one, but two beautiful babies," he whispered, reaching out to touch her swollen belly. "You are magnificent."

"You've been wonderful to me, patient, loving, caring." She held his hand against her womb and they smiled as little feet poked against her skin.

"I'm afraid they're both going to be soccer players," Toby mused. "I'll have to take back all the baseball equipment I've purchased."

Andi finished her cocoa and put the mug on the coffee table. She turned to face her ex-husband, and brushed a hand along his cheek. "It's getting late."

He smiled and stood, pulling her up next to him. "I'll walk you back," then leaned in for a soft kiss. As he started to pull away, she pulled him close, put her arms around his neck, and deepened the kiss. 

"Where's the Team Toby t-shirt?" she asked quietly. "I think you need some female members."

"I'll get it for you," he said with a grin and started for the bedroom.

"That's okay, just put it on the nightstand. I might get cold in the middle of the night."

* * *

"Tell me again why it is that you and your dog are here in my room, drinking my bourbon?" Debbie kicked off her dusty pumps and moved to take the filled cut-glass tumbler being offered by the man in grease-paint and camouflage. Sitting down on the edge of her mattress, she wondered if she really wanted to get involved with an ex-CIA agent turned cab driver.

"Whiskey doesn't drink," Mac quipped, draining his glass and reaching again for the bottle he'd spied during his first foray into her bedroom when he'd been in the audience for the de-gluing operation. "I'm not sharing a cabin with Skunk boy tonight. Whiskey wasn't too thrilled about it either. She's got a sensitive nose."

The dog, lying in the corner of the room, lifted her head and barked in agreement.

"She's not the only one," Debbie dryly responded, holding out her glass for him to refill. "You both could use a bath." She really didn't mind the smell. She minded the feelings the man stirred up inside her. 

"You wound me - and my dog." Mac chuckled, sitting down beside her and filling her glass with another inch of the amber liquid. "I thought we could use this time to get to know each other."

She really shouldn't have drunk the bourbon on an almost empty stomach, it was making her more loquacious than normal. "I think I know enough. The only difference between you and my ex-husband is that you're a trained killer, travel with a large dog, and drive a cab for a living."

"So your husband smokes Cuban cigars, likes country music and is celebrated for his sexual prowess?"

"Not exactly," she admitted, sipping at her drink. "But you both have a similar attitude. I've sworn off men with attitudes."

"Really? Quite a job you've got for yourself then, darling. I guess the President is an easy man to work for?" Mac laughed at her disgruntled expression.

"Finish your drink and I'll show you the couch in the tv lounge." Debbie ignored his question but not the dirt-streaked male hand that had suddenly appeared on her knee. "Forget it. There's not enough liquor in that bottle to get you in my bed tonight."

Grinning, his teeth the only white thing on his paint-smeared face, Mac squeezed her leg. "I'll take your words as hope for the future then."

Debbie hid a smile and removed his hand. Standing, she walked to the door and opened it. 

"Take it any way you want as long as you take it and your dog out of here."

"You're a hard woman, Debbie Fiderer. But you're growing on me." Mac emptied his glass and got to his feet. Snapping his fingers at Whiskey, he and the Irish Wolfhound reluctantly followed her out of the room. 

Neither saw the grin spreading across her normally taciturn face.

* * *

They were once again spending quality time together in his assigned bedroom's attached bathroom. This time wasn't quite as pleasant as the first, Will thought as he looked down at the pieces of tomato clinging to his bare chest. He was sitting in a red-splattered bathtub in his once-white boxers, trying without much success to maintain some sense of dignity.

"Ainsley? I thought you said tomato juice?" he politely inquired as the blonde enthusiastically poured another can of diced tomatoes over his back. 

"We used all the Navy cook had in stock. They're having several cases flown in, but I didn't think you'd want to wait." 

"Oh. Well, yes of course." He wondered if he should mention again that he could probably bathe himself, even if tomatoes were being used in the place of soap. 

They had returned to the cabin, both gasping for air and eyes watering. On Ainsley's instructions, Will had stripped off his clothes, except for his boxers, on the small porch outside the front door. He had been mortified until he'd noticed that Ainsley had piled her clothes on the top of his. Then he'd just been distracted by the lace teddy she'd had on under her casual clothes. Well, not so much the garment but what it revealed. He didn't even remember getting into the tub or taking the first of several hot showers while waiting for the tomato juice to be delivered. 

Now the lace teddy was almost as red as his boxers, as Ainsley rubbed the pulpy mixture on his body, trying to rid him of the pungent odor. His life was just insane, Will concluded watching her small hands trail down his chest. Down. Down. Oh, God, he couldn't help himself.

"Are you feeling okay?" a concerned Ainsley asked when he suddenly jerked away from her, unsuccessfully trying to stand in the slippery tub. "Be careful." She reached out to steady him.

He tried to regain some footing on the porcelain but it was impossible - the tomatoes, the juice - the soap from his showers, his natural clumsiness, fate - they all conspired against him. Flailing about with both arms, Will only managed to drag her down into the tub with him.

Reclining on top of him, her blonde hair littered with tomato pieces, Ainsley started giggling.

Opening his mouth to apologize, Will could only gasp in mortification as he again felt a hardening in his groin.

This time, since she was in position to verify the problem first hand, Ainsley realized what was causing his discomfort. Delighted, she smiled at him. "Aren't you just the sweetest thing to be embarrassed about that?" She shifted a little further up his body and placed a quick kiss on his open mouth. 

"Huh?" Will's face reddened to match his bath water. Sweet wasn't exactly the image he wanted to cultivate, especially with a beautiful woman who was reminding him more and more of a mother cat cleaning a kitten, as she touched his face and chest wiping off tomato bits, her torso and legs rubbing against his skin. If she didn't stop soon, he'd... "Ainsley?"

"Yes, Will?" She picked another piece of tomato off his forehead.

"I would like to verify that you actually like me? That you don't just feel sorry for me?" Will stammered on without waiting for her to reply. "I know I haven't exactly been at my best when we've had occasion to...well when we've ...had encounters. So I'm not sure why you... I can't believe it's just my Rice Krispies Treats that... "

Ainsley smiled at him. "You're a very charming, handsome man, and one that I want to get to know better, especially if you agree to give up Whiskey."

Will brightened, risking putting his arms around her. "Really? Because I've never made Whiskey any promises. She'll get over me as soon as she finds a squirrel to chase."

"I'm absolutely serious," she replied, leaning in to kiss him again, then pausing at the last second to let him close the final few inches. "And don't knock the power of Rice Krispies Treats."

Will solemnly nodded, then cupped his hand around the back of her head, bringing her mouth to meet his. His life was insane. But he wouldn't change a thing.


	10. Bouncing Back 9b

**Bouncing Back**

**by:** Rhonda and Evelyn

**Character(s):** The Women of the West Wing  
**Pairing(s):** Josh/Donna, CJ/Danny, Toby/Andi, Zoey/Charlie, Will/Ainsley  
**Category(s):** Humor, Romance, Post Ep  
**Rating:** TEEN  
**Disclaimer:** They're not ours and never will be.  
**Summary:** Post-episode story for Inauguration: Over There  
**Spoiler:** Red Haven's On Fire  
**Feedback:** Greatly Appreciated  
**Authors Note:** This is a sequel to "Bouncing Inaugural Balls". Thanks so much for all the wonderful feedback. We had such a good time with these characters that we couldn't resist bringing them back for a little more fun. Enjoy! 

* * *

"Hey, CJ! Wait up." Danny jogged to catch up with the long-legged Press Secretary. "I don't stink or anything."

"Can't stop," she called over her shoulder, the light from her newly acquired flashlight flickering. "There was a report of snakes out here earlier."

Huffing, he managed to join her on the trail back to the cabin areas. He grinned at her. "You know how early reports are - they're often wrong."

"You could have told me what was going on instead of scaring me with wildlife." CJ paused at a fork in the trail, then took the left turn, hoping that she'd picked the trail to the cabin she was sharing with Andi and not one that circled her back to where they'd met up with the guys. The snake may have been a ruse, but the skunk was real.

"I was sworn to secrecy by Charlie. He didn't want Amy or Jean-Paul finding out the fire alarm was false."

"Like I was going to tell her anything? Since when have I been Amy's best buddy?" CJ stopped again to catch her breath. The trail had been mostly uphill and her new boots were pinching.

"Next time I'll tell you, okay?" Danny didn't really think she was angry with him, she just didn't like not knowing something first. He lightly punched her upper arm to get her attention. 

"You do that, Fishboy." She glanced at him and couldn't keep back a smile. With twigs in his hair and grass-stains on his new shirt and pants, he looked all of ten years old. 

They resumed their march up the hill, neither paying a lot of attention to the trail once Danny had managed to catch her hand in his.

"So you've got the evening off. Wanna do something?" 

"Like what?" CJ asked.

"Swimming?"

"Too cold for me, even if the pool's heated."

"Skeet shooting?" He tugged on her hand, bringing them to a stop. 

"In the dark? No, thanks."

"Bowling?" He grinned and slid one hand around her waist, pulling her against him. "There's a two lane bowling alley here."

"I don't want to break my other nine fingernails." She wrapped her arms around his neck, using the hand that wasn't holding the flashlight to rake the twigs out of his red curls. "We don't want another glue incident do we?"

Danny grinned and began swaying with her, as though they were dancing. "I didn't mind all that much having you attached to me." He tried to execute a little dip, but almost dropped her.

"Careful," she warned, looking up at him, the back of her head a few inches off the ground. "I don't want you throwing out your back, especially not until you've met the high expectations I have for you."

Danny blushed and righted them. "Hey, there's a recreation room with a juke box. We could drink some beer and you could teach me to jitterbug."

"What makes you think I know how to jitterbug?" she quipped, leaning into him and resting her head on his shoulder. 

"I just figured. I heard you were... good... on the dance floor." His hands had slipped to her hips, pressing her lower body tight against his.

CJ took a deep breath as she felt his body's response to her nearness. "Well, I am and I do." 

"I like the sound of that but we should probably have at least one real date first."

She giggled, an image of Danny sliding a ring on her finger flashing through her mind.

"So, it's a date?" He kissed the side of her neck, working his way across her cheek and finding her mouth. 

After several long seconds, they stopped for air. 

"Okay, but I want to change my shoes first, maybe take a quick shower." She reluctantly stepped back from him. 

"I'll do the same and then come by your cabin - we can walk over together." Danny wrapped one arm around her waist and they started back up the trail.

"Let's not tell anyone else where we're going," CJ suggested, stopping to steal another kiss. "It'll be just you and me, alone. We'll keep the lights off and just dance to the music all night long."

"Uh, CJ?" Danny hated to interrupt her mood, but he'd just noticed the wooden barrier across the trail in front of them.

"Yeah?" She smiled at him, her fingers brushing down the front of his pants. 

Of all the times to have to tell her. He just couldn't win. "I think we took the wrong trail."

"Huh?" She looked around in confusion, swinging the flashlight in all directions. "Shit."

Suddenly they were plunged into darkness.

"Uh, CJ? Did you just turn your flashlight off?"

"Sure, Fishboy. We're lost in the middle of the woods at night. What else would I do?"

"Dead batteries?"

"Yes, dammit!" she exclaimed, slapping the flashlight into his hands. "There goes our evening."

He shook the light, hoping it would turn back on. "Well, looking on the bright side - we're alone and I can sing if you still want to dance in the dark with me."

"Danny?" Her voice was a little higher in tone that normal.

"Okay. You can do the singing."

"Are there really snakes out here?"

* * *

"Donna?" Josh Lyman stepped out onto the patio of the New Laurel Lodge looking for his girlfriend. He scanned the terrace which was lit only by the bright full moon and the multitude of stars that dotted the dark sky. He stood breathless for a moment as he gazed at the glimmering beams of light that reflected off her blonde tresses. Donna was curled up on a chaise lounge, her knees tucked close to her chest. He crossed to her and knelt down in front of her. "You okay?"

"Never better," she smiled, brushing the back of her hand along his cheek. "I finished making those calls you needed and decided to get a breath of air and enjoy this glorious night for a few minutes. How about you?"

He motioned her to scoot forward and he sat down behind her on the chaise, pulling her back against him, his arms around her waist, his head resting on her shoulder. "Everything's set. FEMA is moving into Georgia and the ambassador from Antigua is meeting with Leo in the morning, but at this point, order has been restored."

"You did good, Josh," she said softly. 

"*We* did good," he whispered in her ear, following it with a gentle kiss. "I couldn't do it without you." He was quiet for a moment, then chuckled, "but apparently, you can do very well in undercover operations without me."

"I've learned from the master." She giggled. 

"Taking the photo of Mandy I had on my dart board for the slide show was brilliant."

"Don't worry. I've put a new picture up."

"Let me guess who?" He laughed, pressing her tight against him.

They were quiet for a moment, enjoying the surrounding beauty. Donna voice's was so quiet that Josh had to strain to hear it. "I was proud that you convinced Leo to arrange that funding for the women's shelter."

"Abbey thinks I did it to make up to her," he said ruefully.

"But I know you would have done it anyway," she answered, turning to face him. She gave him a sweet kiss, then added, "That's what I love about you."

He smiled. "I love you so much, Donnatella. You make me want to be a better person. I want you to be proud of me," he said, searching her face for understanding.

"Always, Josh," she reassured him, bringing her lips to his for a kiss that began slowly, gently, then deepened until they finally broke apart breathless. The grins on their faces mirrored each other. Donna settled back, her head on Josh's chest, his arms tight around her.

"It's so beautiful up here. Without the lights and smog of the city, you can see a million stars, each one just waiting to grant a wish," Donna whispered.

"I don't need the stars," Josh insisted, brushing his lips on top of her head. "I got my wish when I got you.

* * *

"You think he'll be safe?" Zoey asked, waving her arms towards the forest where her ex-boyfriend could still be heard alternately cursing and praying in French. She and Charlie were slowly walking back to Aspen Lodge, reluctant to give up this time alone together.

"You worried about him?" Charlie wondered, irritated with the young woman in front of him.

"Not at all. Just a little concerned about my cell phone," she smiled, reaching out to touch the Presidential assistant's arm.

"What's your cell phone got to do with it?" he asked, not quite mollified.

"My sorry excuse for a boyfriend borrowed mine tonight, but since he hasn't called in the French Foreign Legion for help, I'm guessing that he's lost it somewhere," she grinned.

"I thought I heard a splash from the pond that's on the other side of the tree he scrambled up. Cell phones seem to be at risk with these two idiots." Charlie laughed, remembering the flavorful stew made with Josh's phone.

"It's insured and easily replaceable," she paused and stared deeply into the brown eyes of her knight in shining armor. "In fact I probably won't even miss it - or him."

"Well that makes the night a success," he joked. "I wasn't sure what it was going to take to peel that royal leech off you."

Zoey smiled, then looped her arm through Charlie's and started up the path. "You did all this for me?"

"Well for you and to preserve your father's presidency." Charlie chuckled. "Did you know that he threatened to kill Josh if he left him alone with the French parasite?"

"Ouch."

"Are you done roaming the world and sampling foreign fare?" Charlie demanded.

"I'm only interested in the home grown product in front of me," she answered seriously. 

"Sometime soon you're going to have to explain to me what you saw in that guy." Charlie solemnly brushed a leaf off her shoulder. "While you're at it, maybe you could also explain why you dumped me in the first place."

"You know why," she answered walking ahead of him again, her eyes focused down on the trail. "I didn't want anyone else I cared about getting hurt because of me."

"Zoey!" Charlie grabbed her shoulder and spun her around to face him. "Josh getting shot was not your fault, you know that."

"It felt like it," she softly answered, crossing her arms and looking anywhere but into his face. "It still does when I'm home from school and I see the faces of the people who were there that night. If I close my eyes, I hear the gun shots and the screaming. I hear the Secret Service Agents shouting and I ..."

"Stop it," Charlie ordered, folding her into his arms. "It's over. You need to stop running long enough to heal."

Zoey raised her head from his chest and met his gaze. "I don't want anyone to hurt you, Charlie. I couldn't bear it."

"I can take care of myself," he assured her framing her face with his large hands. "Are you going to stick around long enough for me to prove that to you?"

When she finally nodded in agreement, he lowered his mouth to hers.

* * *

"There you go," Mac grumbled, pointing towards CJ's cabin. "Maybe you two should just stay put for the rest of the night. Safer that way."

"Thanks, but I could have found..." Danny grudgingly started, only to be interrupted by a more grateful Press Secretary.

"I'm very glad that you and Whiskey found us. Even though I'm confident Danny would have gotten us back eventually, I'm happy we didn't have to wait until he could find the North Star, a flowing river, and whatever that green stuff he was searching for on the trees."

Danny jerked opened the cabin door. "Hey, the nature channels always tell you to follow the river to civilization. And I told you that moss only grows on the north side of trees. We could have used that to orient ourselves and..."

"It was on all sides of the trees you were hugging," she protested, following him into the cabin.

"Have a good night," Mac called after them, shaking his head in amusement at the couple's antics and whistling for Whiskey. Stroking the dog's silky head, he mumbled, "Come on girl, let's leave those two alone. They're made for each other."

* * *

"Everything okay?" Abbey mumbled, as Jed crawled into bed with her. She'd fallen asleep reading while he was with Josh saving the world.

"Just fine," the Leader of the Free World whispered, spooning with his wife, pulling her back against him, his arm around her waist.

"Where's Zoey?" the First Mother wanted to know.

"Last I spoke to her, she said something about proving that made in America is her first choice," he smiled. "I didn't press her on how she planned to make that point."

"Mmmm, I don't think I want to know," Abbey agreed. "Any updates on the demon spirits of the woods?"

"I understand from Ron that the tree huggers are still butt to bark," he murmured, moving his hand slowly, gently under his wife's short nightie. "You know, sweet knees, that you're going to have to replace Cruella de Vil. Do you already have someone picked out from your sewing circle?"

She snatched his hand from its intended target and dropped it back onto his hip. 

When she turning to face him, he caught the steely glare from her flashing eyes.

"Sewing circle?"

"I meant The Women's Caucus of which you proudly serve as chairperson." He backpedaled fast.

She nodded, smiled and turned back around to snuggle back against him. "Damn right, cupcake. But I don't think I'll have to look that far for my next Chief of Staff. As Dorothy once remarked, 'there's no place like home'."

"One of the women from Kansas?" Jed's curiosity was piqued.

"Definitely a Midwesterner, someone with capable hands." She smiled. "How about the rest of the crew? All present and accounted for?"

"I think Eros, the god of love, has been pretty busy in these woods," he murmured, once again sliding his hand under her nightgown.

"I don't think it's Cupid's arrow that I need to worry about," she whispered, turning to face her husband and capturing his lips with a deep kiss.

* * *

"I think I need more practice," Danny said, his voice muffled by the blanket covering his head. I lost the beat."

"Well, okay. Just once more though," CJ sighed, tugging him upwards in the bed. "At some point we'll want to try this standing up and with music."

Danny grinned at her as he arranged their arms and legs to suit him. "I have to warn you I'm a slow learner."

"Good," she whispered, wrapping her legs around his waist. "I don't want you to miss a step."

* * *

"Don't you ever sleep?" Debbie asked the man who was standing under the tree smoking a cigar.

She'd gotten up for some aspirin for her pounding head and happened to see him on the patio outside her bedroom window.

"Not that much anymore," he responded. "It seems like the older I get the less sleep I need, either that or I just don't like remembering."

"Dreaming? You mean you don't like dreaming?" 

He shrugged. "Same difference. My dreams are filled with the past, most of it not so pretty."

Debbie tightened the belt on her long robe as she moved to stand near him. Reaching out she plucked the cigar from his hand and took a long puff.

"Hey," he exclaimed, startled by her actions. "I thought you didn't smoke."

"I didn't say that," she replied. "I said I didn't like smoking."

"You're a complicated woman, Ms. Fiderer," he said with a chuckle, wrapping an arm around her narrow shoulders.

"Damn straight," she retorted, taking another puff and blowing a smoke ring in the night air.

* * *

She didn't understand why the humans were still up in the tree or why the tall man with the gun kept watch over them. Whiskey stopped next to the bush where the little man with the glasses had been sprayed. She'd tried to warn him, but like most humans he hadn't listened. Raising her nose in the air she took a sniff. Time to go back to her master. The skunk was back. 

* * *

Amy took a deep breath and tried to affect a reasonable tone. "I'm going to try to reach my cell phone. It would be a big help if you'd shut up your crying long enough for me to get to the ground and back up again. I need to be able to hear if the bear comes back."

"And what about the witch?" Jean-Paul screeched. "Have you forgotten her? It's no use. We're doomed. I should never have come to this country, never left my native land to walk among the savages."

Amy wiped her hand across her dirt-smeared face. The little wimp never let up. "I'm not afraid of Mandy Hampton, alive or dead. If she shows up again I'll kick her scrawny ass all the way back to the high-priced PR firm she bankrupted. Now anything 8 feet tall and wearing fur, I respect. So I need you to SHUT UP before I rip off your head and spit in the hole!"

Jean-Paul whimpered once more but quieted when he saw her climbing towards the limb he was crouched on.

"Now that we've reached an understanding," Amy growled, changing her direction of movement to downward, "maybe I can get us a ride out of here."

Sliding down the bark, she ripped the pocket off her jeans on a branch, mumbling, "I'm gonna bill Abbey Bartlet for that and for every minute I spent listening to that idiot boyfriend of her twit daughter."

Finally reaching the ground, Amy carefully glanced around. It was dark, but the clouds had finally cleared, leaving the light from a full moon to pierce the woods. No bulky shapes were hiding in the bushes that she could see. No sounds other than an occasional sniff from the wimp up in the tree.

On her hands and knees, she began sweeping her hands over the ground, searching for the cell phone she'd dropped earlier. Just as her fingers closed over it, she smelled something awful - something dank and pungent and... Raising her head she came face to face with a little black and white creature with glowing eyes.

* * *

"Did you hear something?" a drowsy Abbey asked, rolling over and nudging her sleeping husband.

"Nah. Go to sleep. Everything is fine." Jed hid a smile against his pillow as he lied to his wife. He'd recognize that scream anywhere. Ron would probably be dragging the two miscreants out of the woods and sticking them in a car headed back to D.C. any minute now.

Sighing in pleasure, Jed shut his eyes. Life was good.

 

The end.

**Sequel:** "Rebound"


End file.
